The Phoenix's Fire
by Ice7
Summary: Destiny Sequel.5 long years have passed since the day that Destiny disappeared.With only the visions of a vampire Seeress and the promise that a shape-shifter makes,Harry embarks on a journey that will show just how much time and pain can change a perso
1. Hauntings of the Past

Summary: Five long years have passed since the day that Destiny disappeared. Things have become critical in the Wizarding World and the search has begun to find the missing girl that could save or destroy the magical world. With only the visions of a vampire Seeress and the promise that a shape-shifter makes, Harry is about to embark on a journey that will show just how much time and pain can change a person.   
  
Disclaimer: I own Destiny, Alexandria, Dakota, Stanton, all of the dark creatures and anything you do not recognize. The plot is completely mine and may not be borrow, nor any of the characters, without my permission. JK Rowlings' owns all of the characters you recognize. Quotes come from various places and many are not mine. This story is written for fun and no money is being made. The War Mage concept belongs to Midnight Blue who wrote "The Mirror of Maybe". Read her story! It's excellent.  
  
A/N: This story is the sequel to Destiny.  
  
"~~~"= Speech  
  
'~~~'= Thought  
  
Des is pronounced as Dez  
  
*~ Necromancy- Conjuration of the spirits of the dead ~*  
  
****Necromancy is the ability to see the dead, talk to the dead, and make the dead visible to the living. It is considered the darkest of dark arts. ****  
The Phoenix's Fire  
  
Prologue  
  
Five years. Five long years had passed since the day that Harry Potter had graduated from Hogwarts. In that time, many horrifying things had come to pass. Voldemort had seized more control over the Wizarding World to the point that the Ministry of Magic had collapsed under the rule of Cornelius Fudge.  
  
Soon after leaving Hogwarts, Harry had been recruited by a group of elves to be trained as a Mage. At the age of nineteen, Harry Potter had re- emerged into a world full of chaos as a War Mage.  
  
Though the years had passed and time had changed Harry from the carefree boy he had once been, he never forgot his first love. Destiny Black was always at the edge of his thoughts.  
  
Remus Lupin had secretly returned from exile with the promised protection of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and still Destiny had not returned.  
  
Even after five years, Harry Potter still awoke and went to sleep with the same thought: 'I'm going to find you Destiny. You can't hide forever.'  
Hauntings of the Past  
  
Chapter 1  
  
**Past- 1997**  
  
The graduation ceremony had ended an hour earlier and Harry had just returned to the Great Hall when he first met Julia Snow, Destiny's infamous mother.  
  
Enough time had passed since the end of the ceremony that most of the guests had returned home when Destiny's angry mother stormed up to where Sirius Black, Dumbledore, a few teachers, and Harry had gathered.  
  
"Where is she?" Julia practically growled.  
  
"Aw, Ms. Snow, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.  
  
"Julia?" Sirius gasped at the woman before him.  
  
The woman before him looked nothing like the girl he had fallen in love with. That girl had had long, soft, black hair and the most beautiful hazel eyes. This woman, whose blue- black hair was streaked with gray, had the once flowing mane up in a braid and had eyes that spoke of many years of hardships. Where the once unmarked face had been, there was now weathered skin that spoke of the strain, stress, pain, and worry that had filled her life for so long.  
  
Glaring at Sirius, Julia Snow said with a great deal of worry, "Where is my daughter? I read of the Ministry's order and I am here to hide her."  
  
"Ms.-"  
  
"Julia."  
  
"Julia, I am afraid to tell you that Miss Black has already left. I had assumed she would return to you." Furrowing his brow in worry, Dumbledore wondered where the girl could have gone to.  
  
"Wait a minute," Harry said, finally understanding who this woman was. "You're Destiny's mum!" At her nod of conformation, Harry snapped angrily, "It's no wonder she didn't come to you! She told me how you treated her. You never even pretended to love her!"  
  
This pronouncement brought on a moment of stunned silence.  
  
"I love her," Julia whispered. "I'd die for her."  
  
"She didn't feel loved," Harry respond with conviction.  
  
Sighing, Julia pressed a hand to her eyes.  
  
"Destiny was always a difficult child. She didn't play with dolls and never cared for anyone else's company. She saw other's as an annoyance and refused any affection shown to her. I gave her the surname Black before I had thought it through and spent most of her childhood trying to protect her from the persecution it brought. She never remembered me trying to protect her, only when I failed to do so. When I found out she was also cursed as a Necromancer, I sought to protect her from herself. I thought, if she doesn't use the powers, she won't have to deal with the consequences."  
  
"Being hated," Harry whispered.  
  
"Among other things."  
  
"What others?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Insanity. Towards the end of a Necromancer's life, they lose hold of reality."  
  
"But Destiny is only sixteen!" Harry snapped.  
  
Looking sad, Julia whispered, "Yes, but the average Necromancer doesn't live to see their twenty-second birthday. Destiny is dying-"  
  
*****  
  
**Present- 2003**  
  
Shaking the thoughts away, Harry Potter sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Five years had passed and still that day haunted him.  
  
Insanity.  
  
Since that day, Harry had spent much of his free time searching for his lost friend- and ways to save the girl. The problem was, Destiny had turned twenty-one and he knew time was running out to help her.  
  
'We'll find her. We'll find her before Voldemort takes over everything.'  
  
He didn't know when things had changed. Once, he had only wanted to find the girl because he was miserable without her. Sometime in the last five years though, he had only thought to find her so that he could rid the world of the monster named Riddle.  
  
'No, that's not all I care about,' he thought defiantly as a knock sounded on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
The door opened to reveal a girl who appeared to be no more than sixteen and a complete airhead. Looks though had long ago stopped having an affect on him. Just because you could see it, didn't make it the truth. Harry Potter's secretary was a demon.  
  
"Hello Lana. I trust you had an eventful night at home."  
  
"Always do," she purred from where she lounged in the doorway.  
  
"Glad to see you're not burnt," he mumbled, shuffling through the papers on his desk in search of a quill.  
  
"Hell is just a sauna," she replied, walking to his desk.  
  
Finding the elusive object, Harry cocked his eyebrow at the blond girl in front of him.  
  
"Was there a reason you were here or were you just stopping by to say hi?"  
  
"A little of both. Hi to begin with and intelligence just received another poem-"  
  
"Prophecy."  
  
"Whatever. The point is, war is your area of expertise and these little riddles are pointing to some major catastrophic events- not that it'll harm me of course."  
  
"Of course," he replied with an easy grin. Standing, he moved towards the door and said calmly, "Stop using office hours to seduce people and don't do it to anyone who works to stop Voldemort. We're limited enough without having to worry about whether or not they're going to have organs come morning."  
  
"Sure-"  
  
"In fact, stick to known criminals if you must do it at all."  
  
Walking down corridors, up stairs, through doors, and passing identification points, Harry thought about his job.  
  
After the collapse of the Ministry in 1999, The Order of the Phoenix had taken over; making secret buildings and recruiting anyone who wanted to help, no matter their age, race, or species. Phoenix Headquarters had also become a sanctuary for any Dark Creature who wanted to prove that not all of them were evil.  
  
Harry had been recruited by a group of magical beings- mostly elves- to learn the art of the Mage. Deciding on the most practical branch of magic for himself, he had chosen War. Harry had completed the course as fast as humanly possible and had become the first human Mage in a thousand years- one month after the Ministry's collapse.  
  
"Harry, wait up!" a voice called out from behind him.  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled upon seeing a red faced Remus Lupin running to catch up.  
  
"Have you-"  
  
"No, there is still no word of her; nor do I know where Destiny is," Remus cut in with exasperated patience. "When I am able to tell you something, I will."  
  
Clearing his throat, Harry changed his demeanor to a more professional manner and asked about the prophesy that had been received.  
  
"The prophesy is most definitely from A-"  
  
"Any leads as of yet as to who 'A' is?"  
  
"No, but we've determined that they're female and have magical powers."  
  
"And those bits of information are helpful. how?"  
  
"Well," Remus stuttered, thinking hard for a good reason, "It does narrow down the search. a little."  
  
"It narrows it none. It could still be any female; anywhere and a glamour can make her appear male. For God's sake- it could be a hag we're looking for!"  
  
"Calm down kid. We'll find her." Seeing the glare he was receiving, Remus quickly corrected himself. "Sir."  
  
Rolling his eyes in disgust, Harry walked into the room labeled 'Intelligence'. It was a large plain room with desks placed in two organized rows. The walls had been painted a bright white and there were no windows. All in all, it was not a favorite place of many.  
  
Upon entering the room, Harry cleared his throat loudly, causing all of the occupants to jump in fright. There was an immediate scuffing of chairs as everyone rushed to their feet and stood as if they were being inspected.  
  
"The new prophecy that was received; where is it?" Harry asked impatiently.  
  
The room immediately went into action as everyone searched for a copy.  
  
"It's not a prophecy," a dark haired man in the back of the room replied in an uninterested manner. Being the only one who had not risen to his feet, he now stood lazily and moved towards the Mage. "It's a riddle of how we can find this 'A'."  
  
"So, where is she from Sirius?"  
  
Grinning at his Godson, Sirius shrugged carelessly. "Don't know."  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
"Nope. The last word of the riddle is a giant ink splotch. All we know is that it's sunny and a perfect place for a hunter."  
  
"That describes most of the continents," Harry mumbled darkly, shoving the hair out of his face and rubbing his scar absentmindedly. "Alright, get back to work. Write down everywhere that's plausible. If we can't figure it out, we'll keep working on it and hope for another riddle to help us narrow down the list. I'm going to leave now though. Sirius?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Contact me if you figure anything out. I want a list of places on my desk tomorrow."  
  
"Sure. And Harry?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Maybe you should consider taking a vacation."  
  
*****  
  
With a copy of the new found riddle, Harry apparated to Hogsmeade and began his walk to the legendary school. He had made this trek to many times to count and it had become a calming ritual. It helped to know that when the relaxing walk ended, a comforting presence awaited him.  
  
Letting his mind return to its wondering of the past, he sighed. He had changed since his school days. Back then he had been a happy boy who could allow himself to forget he was a hero. Carefree and smiling, that's how he remembered his younger self. Now though, he was so very different. Hardened, cruel even. It was whispered to new employs not to cross the human War Mage, that his temper was legendary. Even among those who he called friend were fearful of making him angry. Only Sirius remained unmoved by his behavior.  
  
'As proved by his vacation comment,' he mused to himself.  
  
Pushing open the front doors to the school, Harry made his way to the Order of the Phoenix room. Entering the room, he moved to his seat near the head of the table. The meeting scheduled for today was for only a select group of people; people who headed up each of the Special Force groups.  
  
"Hello Harry," Dumbledore smiled, not even seeming to notice that Harry was twenty minutes late. "Anymore prophesies or attacks been found?"  
  
"A riddle as a matter of fact. We believe it tells us how to find this 'A'. What do you make of it?" he asked, handing the old man the paper.  
  
"Hm. Where ever she is, it begins with a V. Besides that, nothing helpful."  
  
"Why," Arabella Figg asked, "would she send us a riddle on how to find her? After all this time spent anonymous, why let us find her now?"  
  
"I don't think she meant to let us find her. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even read what she writes," Harry replied thoughtfully. "As you know, Seers write out their prophesies using their subconscious, unless it comes as a vision."  
  
Stunned, Hermione Granger said, "She writes the prophecy, gives it to an owl, and just forgets about it-"  
  
"Allowing her to rest easy about having helped with the crisis without actually getting involved."  
  
Nodding her understanding, Arabella said, "What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve. Brilliant and simple." Leaning forwards, she asked what was on all their minds. "How do we find her?"  
  
Agreeing that it was necessary to send the information about the V to intelligence, an owl was sent and the meeting continued.  
  
It was barely an hour later that Sirius Black burst into the meeting.  
  
"We've got it! We know where she lives! It's been checked against every prophesy and the location spells keep agreeing. Only one problem though."  
  
"Where is she?" Harry asked, knowing the problem stemmed from this very question.  
  
"Las Vegas: home of the bizarre." 


	2. Seer Searching

Seer Searching  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The following day, Harry, Sirius, and Remus sat in Harry's office going over maps and records while attempting location spells in search of their mysterious Seer.  
  
"Okay," Remus said, "this is a map of Vegas. How do we find her?"  
  
"We could go there and search for odd people- what?" Sirius asked at his Godson's snort of disgust.  
  
"Las Vegas attracts every type of person. People go there to disappear. Kind of like a gaudy form of New York."  
  
"Got a better suggestion," Sirius snapped, "'cause I don't see you coming up with any solutions."  
  
"We could use a Medea Stone to show us a place where the same magic that was used on this paper was also used. Then we could try scrying for her from that power," Remus stated, not bothering to look up from the map.  
  
"That's a good idea," an impressed Harry said to Sirius.  
  
"I agree," Sirius said nodding his agreement. "So when do we leave?"  
  
"We?" Harry asked skeptically. "I, not we."  
  
"Of course 'we.' Everything we do is a threesome," Remus replied.  
  
"Hey," Sirius yelped. "What you two do is your own business! Don't try to drag me into it! I'm very much into girls!"  
  
"Shut-up Sirius." Sirius just smiled. Remus continued his explanation to Harry. "You're the muscles, Sirius is the comic relief and can play 'pet' if we get desperate, and I am the brains. So, when do we leave?"  
  
Smiling amusedly at his friends, Harry said simply, "Tonight. In two hours we'll apparate to the desert surrounding the city."  
  
*****  
  
"Bloody hell!"  
  
Two hours had passed since the three wizards had left the office to collect their personal belongings. They had apparated to the designated area but there was one problem: the gas station they were apparating to was no longer in existence and they were in the middle of nowhere.  
  
"Now what?" Sirius snapped.  
  
"We could apparate to the outer city limits." Remus suggested.  
  
"Oh yeah! Let's risk landing on someone's ROOF!" Spinning around, Sirius turned his fury on his Godson. "Where did you get that map?"  
  
"Lana."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My secretary. She's been to Las Vegas before. She gave me the map."  
  
"I suggest you fire her."  
  
"I could just fire you," Harry said.  
  
"Alrighty then. Everyone got their walking shoes on?"  
  
"Sirius?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We're not walking. We have a portkey."  
  
"Oh. Okay, good."  
  
*****  
  
Appearing into the city was normal enough but one glance at the place told them all they needed to know: they were going to be there for a while. The city was large, with flashing lights and lots of cars. Glittery signs and neon lights were the theme of the place but this was not where the problem lay. The problem wasn't that it would be difficult to find an unusual person; the problem was everyone was bizarre.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," Remus gasped. "That was a man? Sirius, did you see that?"  
  
"Looks like a woman to me," Sirius replied, eyeing the figure ahead of them.  
  
"The 'she' had a goatee!"  
  
"What the- Harry where did you bring us?"  
  
Scowling, Harry said sternly, "This is where the girl lives so this is where we have to search. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can leave." Reaching into his pocket, Harry withdrew the newest prophecy.  
  
"We need to find a place where we won't have to worry about Muggles seeing the light the stone sets off," Remus stated logically.  
  
Finding a narrow alley, the three hurried into it and quickly brought out the velvet bag that held the Medea Stone.  
  
The stone was in a heart shape that's top and bottom surfaces came to a sharp point. The white rock was known to be able to sense magic from the smallest bit of power and was able to show a location that this great source originated from.  
  
Allowing the stones light to shine on the paper, they waited. Within seconds, the ink on the paper vanished and reemerged with a map of the city and the name Alexandria de Winter at the top of the page. Before them was the exact location of the girl they sought.  
  
"So much for scrying," Sirius grinned. Immediately the smile vanished. "That was easy. Why was that so easy?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Remus replied uncertainly.  
  
"Why can't we just use that to find Destiny?"  
  
"Because," Harry said quietly, "the de Winter girl isn't trying to hide who she is, she doesn't mind if she's found. Destiny is actively trying to remain hidden."  
  
"Have you tried it?" the ex-convict asked quietly.  
  
"Yes," Harry replied coolly, "several times."  
  
Shifting nervously, Remus said, "Let's go find our girl then!"  
  
*****  
  
"Are you sure this is the place?" Remus asked doubtfully, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the place.  
  
Uncertainly, Sirius replied. "The map says it is."  
  
The building was in the poorer part of town and wasn't in very good condition. The once bright white paint had dulled to a gray and had begun to peel. Windows were boarded up and the ones that weren't had bars on them. The front walk had broken concrete protruding, making it easy to trip. The yard was filled with weeds and what little grass there was, was dead.  
  
"Well," Harry said, breaking the silence that had descended upon them, "let's go make contact."  
  
At the front desk they were able to get the room number for a small fee from a balding, middle aged man that looked a little shifty.  
  
Concerned about a younger woman living in a place like this with that pervert lingering about, Remus asked, "How old is the Seer anyways?"  
  
"Doesn't matter as long as she's still breathing," Harry muttered, lifting his hand to knock on the door.  
  
There was no answer, so after a few minutes, he raised his fist to pound again on the rotting wood. Before his fist could touch the door, it opened to reveal the girl they had come to see.  
  
Even though it was June, the girl was dressed in ratty jeans and a long sleeved hooded sweat shirt. Her eyes were large, slightly tilted and were so dark they almost appeared to be black. She had high cheekbones and full heart shaped lips. She appeared to be about 5'6" and was model thin. Her most startling feature though- and the thing that made her truly unique- was her hair. It hung down her back, falling around her hips thick and straight. The strange thing about it though was that it was pure white, not blond.  
  
'I've never seen that color on anyone other than an old person.' Harry thought, staring at the gorgeous woman before him.  
  
Clearing his throat, he began the speech he'd prepared.  
  
"Ms. De Winter?"  
  
"Miss," she replied in a tone that made it feel as if someone had just dumped ice down his shirt. "What do you want? Make it quick."  
  
"Maybe we could talk inside." Letting his sentence trail off, Harry took a step towards the door but stopped when the woman raised her arm to block his entrance.  
  
"No, we should talk here," she snapped, moving to fold her arms over her chest, glaring threateningly.  
  
Deciding to step in before things became hostile, Sirius smoothly said, "We mean you no harm. We need your help."  
  
"My help?" she stated, her voice condescending. "Oh please do tell me what I can do to help you. I'm just dying to make your life better." Sneering, she reached out and peeled a piece of paint off the wall before flicking it at them.  
  
"We're here about the prophecies you sent to the Order," Harry interrupted.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Look-"  
  
"Stay away from me or else!" she snapped before slamming the door shut in their faces.  
  
*****  
  
"Well, that went well," Sirius said, grinning widely. They were just outside the run down apartment building and the sun was beating mercilessly down upon the three men. Pulling out his sunglasses, Sirius smirked. "So what's plan B?"  
  
Scowling, Harry said, "There isn't a plan B."  
  
"Remus?" Sirius asked, turning to his friend, "Got a plan B?"  
  
"I guess we should research her. Find out more about her and then follow her."  
  
"Oh yay. Stalking."  
  
*****  
  
"Destiny?" a quiet voice asked.  
  
"I'm alright," a weak voice murmured.  
  
"No," James replied sternly, "you're not. You look like death."  
  
"Maybe," Destiny sighed, "because I'm dying."  
  
Giving her a sympathetic look, he gently sat beside her and pulled her into his arms as if she were a little girl.  
  
"You still have a chance, but only if you return to the world of the living."  
  
"There are only two cures for me. One will never happen and the other is unthinkable. I'll die by the time I turn twenty-two next year."  
  
After a few minutes of silence, James drew back so he could look her in the eye.  
  
"I can't save you Destiny but how you choose to leave this world is up to you. You could save a lot of lives."  
  
"Why should I?" she asked in a deadened voice, rising haltingly to her feet. "What has this world ever done for me?"  
  
When he didn't reply, she headed for the door.  
  
"Nothing," he said as she reached for the doorknob. "Nothing but give you life."  
  
*****  
  
"Alexandria de Winter," Sirius read from a small, almost empty file, "is twenty-one years old according to these Muggle files. She emigrated from France three years ago and moved to Nevada where she's worked as a good, honest citizen every since."  
  
Throwing the files down, Sirius leaned on his hands against the table. Leaning forwards in his chair, Remus tugged the file towards himself and flipped through it.  
  
"He's right," Remus said to Harry, "there's nothing here. She's a model citizen without even a speeding ticket. Are you sure this is the girl?"  
  
"Yes," Harry said simply. "I have her records from France too. The de Winter's estate is just outside of Paris. Once again, entire life is perfect." Flipping open another file, Harry smiled. "Bingo! Alexandria didn't show up on the record until five years ago." Pulling out a picture, he laid it on the table in front of the other two men. "Look like our girl?"  
  
"Yeah," Sirius replied. "So what?"  
  
"This," Harry stated, "is a fairy photo. It was painted by tiny fairies in the late 1600's. Alexandria de Winter- this girl- disappeared at the age of 21, over three hundred years ago."  
  
"She's pretty good looking for someone who's supposed to be a corpse!"  
  
"Sirius," Remus rolled his eyes in distaste, "the girl IS a corpse according to these files. She's a vampire. Am I right Harry?"  
  
"The de Winter's are one of the few surviving complete clans in the world. These vampires took in hundreds of Dark Creatures when the hunts began. Not even the bravest Aurors dared to enter that house."  
  
"Hundreds?" At his nod, Sirius continued. "So you're thinking."  
  
"Kill two birds with one stone. Get the Seer and maybe get a lead on the Necromancer."  
  
"Good plan," Sirius said nodding. Frowning suddenly, he asked curiously about how the girl had walked around in the sunlight in the hallway.  
  
"There were no windows or natural lighting. She also works at night so she never has to go in the light. It makes sense."  
  
Watching them carefully, Remus asked slowly, "Why do you think she would know how to find Destiny?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Sirius said as if it were obvious, "Because she lived in that house! She'll have contacts! Someone's bound to know where to find her!" Hopping out of his chair, he headed for the door. "Let's go follow her to work!"  
  
Quietly, Harry asked Remus, "Do you think we'll find Des?"  
  
Without bothering to look at him, Remus started to gather the files together. "I think we'll find her when she wants to be found."  
  
*****  
  
Alexandria it turned out, worked in a run down little restaurant that catered to the locals and truckers.  
  
The building had a neon sign out front and peeling paint. The interior wasn't much better. The booths were scarred and the tables rickety. The bar up front was the only kept up part of the place.  
  
Entering through the front doors, Remus immediately started coughing.  
  
Where did the air go?" he wheezed through the smoke filled room.  
  
"Come on," Harry said quietly, leading them to a booth in the back where they could watch the entire room.  
  
It wasn't long before their girl entered the room carrying a tray of drinks. She served her costumers before heading towards their table, ready to take their orders. Glancing at them, she froze. Sneering in disgust, she marched over to them and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Stalking is illegal here in the states, you know."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry stated calmly, looking at his menu critically. "We were hungry and thought that this would be a good place to eat."  
  
"If you wanted to eat, you're going to be sorely disappointed in what you get. This here is a BAR, NOT a restaurant. You come here to get wasted, not have a nice family chat."  
  
"I'll have a salad," Harry responded, looking up as if he hadn't heard her, "and a coffee please."  
  
Pursing her lips angrily, she took the rest of their orders and stalked away. Five minutes later she returned, slamming their food down on the table.  
  
"Fine, I'll let you follow me around. I'm not going to England or anything but you can follow me and ask your questions. I get off work in an hour."  
  
Spinning on her heel, she walked to her next table.  
  
"Well," Harry said happily, picking up his fork, "she's certainly feisty." Glancing at the silverware, he wrinkled his nose before trying to clean the fork on his pants. 


	3. Alexandria de Winter

Alexandria de Winter  
  
Chapter 3  
Sitting in their booth while attempting to eat the disgusting food, none of them spoke. The room was crowded yet still more people came. Alexandria had appeared several more times to take other orders and to wipe off tables.  
  
"How did a de Winter end up working in a place like this?" Sirius asked, glancing around sadly at the place where the girl had chosen to work.  
  
"We'll find out soon enough," Harry stated, standing up. "Here she comes."  
  
Before she could reach them though, a drunken brawl formed. Taking a hit to the head, Alexandria crashed into a table and sprawled onto the floor. Snarling, she leapt to her feet and tackled one of the two men, subduing him instantly. Seeing the man unconscious on the floor, the other one turned on his heel and raced for the door.  
  
Hurrying over to the wreckage, they helped her to her feet before she wrenched away and headed for the door. When they got outside, they immediately headed to where Alexandria was crouched against a wall at the dark end of the parking lot.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked concerned, kneeling down next to her.  
  
Cradling her arm to her chest protectively, she hissed dangerously, "Get away from me!"  
  
"You're hurt," Harry replied, trying to be reasonable, reaching out to look at her arm. Seeing her shaking her head, he grabbed her arm only to be smacked across the face. Sighing, he rubbed his fingers together over the wetness that had appeared from touching her. "You're bleeding."  
  
"Look," she snarled, rising to her feet, "fights break out here all the time. It's nothing new. I can take care of myself."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Leave her alone," Remus snapped, pushing them away from her before stepping up to help.  
  
Staring her in the eye, he waited. At last, she held out her arm to him. Remus immediately set to work pulling broken glass and splinters out of her arm. He worked quickly, but not quickly enough to hide the cuts and blood from the other two men.  
  
"My God," Sirius whispered eyes wide. "Your blood is silver!"  
  
Glaring indignantly, she replied nastily, "So? At least mines a pretty color and doesn't stain white clothes!"  
  
"Let's all just calm down," Harry snapped. "Let us bandage you up so we can get going."  
  
"I'm through for the night. I'm going home."  
  
Disappearing with a pop, the three men were left standing alone in the dark parking lot.  
  
*****  
  
Harry awoke at dusk the next afternoon after sleeping through the day. Remus and Sirius had left sometime before saying they were going to explore the city and promised to meet him and the Seer at a homey little café down the street from their hotel. Harry decided to make the most of his time alone and get to know the strange person they were desperately seeking help from. After dressing, he quickly made his way back to the dilapidated apartment buildings.  
  
Knocking softly on the door, he called out, "Miss de Winter?"  
  
When there was no answer, he pressed his ear to the door to listen for any sounds of movement from within. The sound of a bolt sliding out of the way was like a gunshot, causing the Mage to jump in surprise.  
  
"I'm sorry," Alexandria laughed. "Did I startle you?"  
  
"No, not at all," Harry replied quickly, trying not to let the look of alarm show on his face.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Just to see what you were doing." Harry smiled charmingly. "Would you like to go see a Muggle movie or something?" Seeing that she was hesitating, he added quickly, "My treat. I'll even buy you popcorn."  
  
"Fine," she mumbled, walking back into her apartment and immediately coming back with her car keys. "Whatever, I'm driving."  
  
Outside, when Harry turned towards the parking lot, Alexandria kept right on walking.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To my car," she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Where did you park?"  
  
"Somewhere where I won't have to worry."  
  
After walking for several more minutes, they came to an old barn that was partially caved in and sported 'no trespassing: condemned' signs all over the yard.  
  
"Here?" Harry asked incredulously.  
  
"Is the great Harry Potter afraid?" she mocked. Seeing he wasn't going to budge, she sighed. "There's spells to hold the place up and most of the damage is actually just a glamour. It's safe. There's repelling charms and everything to keep vandals away."  
  
"What kind of car do you have that's worth all that effort?"  
  
"A Ferrari."  
  
"Nice," he responded with a nod.  
  
"More than nice; you can't even buy my car yet!"  
  
Cocking his head to the side, he asked incredulously, "Then how did you get it?"  
  
Hesitating for a moment, she finally said, "A guy owed me a favor. He paid off his life debt to me in a material aspect." Smiling happily, she chirped, "Works for me!"  
  
Pushing open the large wooden doors, they walked in. Upon seeing the sight before him, he froze. The inside looked nothing like the out with its clean surfaces and large interiors. This though was not what shocked him. For a girl that lived in a horrible apartment, she sure had a great number of expensive vehicles. There were old cars, new cars, motorcycles- every type of vehicle you could want.  
  
"How did you get all of these?" Harry asked, awed.  
  
"I sell them when I finish restoring them and buy something new with the money. It's a very expensive hobby but it gives me something to do."  
  
"I've never met any girls interested in auto repair," he said, amused.  
  
"Oh no," she replied quickly, "not just cars. I fix up houses, gardens, cars- anything that the world considers worthless, I make beautiful again. I even fix people."  
  
"People?"  
  
"Yes, and I've decided to make it my mission to fix you."  
  
"ME?"  
  
"Yes you." She smiled serenely. "What better a person to fix than the one that is to save the world? I mean, look at you: hardened War Mage, angry at the world, feeling guilty. You're a mess and the world needs their hero back."  
  
"What if you can't fix me?" he asked quietly, no judgment in his voice.  
  
"Well, then I guess you're stuck with me forever because I NEVER give up!"  
  
Smiling, she walked over and slid into the red corvette convertible. Shaking his head and smiling at her know-it-all smirk, he followed her, knowing there was more to the white haired beauty than met the eye.  
  
*****  
  
At three in the morning, Harry Potter could be seen laughing and having a great time in a small restaurant on the outskirts of the grand city with non other than Alexandria de Winter. Though he had planned to meet Sirius and Remus at 10:00 pm, he had long since called to tell them not to wait up.  
  
Smiling cheerfully, Harry said, "You know what Alexandria? I've had a great time tonight. It's been so long since I've laughed."  
  
"Glad I could be of service," she replied in her laid-back, calm voice. "Enough formalness though. You can call me Alexia or Alex, or Lexi, or even Lexia-"  
  
"Alright!" he exclaimed in mock annoyance. "I get it!"  
  
Setting off down the road to where they'd left the car, Alexia began to tell one dirty joke after another as Harry laughed helplessly. Halfway through a particularly disgusting one, she froze.  
  
"Uh oh." she whispered.  
  
"What-? Oh."  
  
Before them stood six men wearing ski masks and holding an assortment of knives and clubs.  
  
'This isn't good,' Harry thought as he reached slowly for his wand.  
  
"Don't!" she hissed. "They're Muggles! You can't let them know what we are!"  
  
Giving her an angry glare, he instead shifted into a fighting stance.  
  
Seeing that their victims weren't going to give up without a fight, the gang began to circle around the two, knives flashing dangerously. Moving so that his back was to Alexia, he waited until the scrawny one nearest to him was within reach. Bringing his foot up, Harry snap kicked scrawny boy in the face, taking him out of the fight immediately. Seeming to be shocked out of their momentary paralysis, the five men that were still standing attacked. Leaping forwards, Harry grabbed a second man by the shirt before giving him a good hard head-butt in the face. While starting for the next one, he glanced over to see how the vampire girl was doing.  
  
What he saw shocked him to no end.  
  
For all her talk about fixing things, she was obviously no stranger to destroying them. He had been trained to fight using only the minimum amount of force necessary to solve the problem. Alexia had no such qualms.  
  
She reached out, grabbing an over-weight man around the wrist before pulling it towards the ground. As if wrist went towards the ground, she twisted her body so that her side faced the man's front, brought her leg up, putting her almost into a vertical type of splits, and kicked him in the jaw, nearly breaking his neck- leaving him in heap on the floor. The three remaining men turned and ran when they saw what had just happened to their friends.  
  
Looking after them in disgust, Harry turned back to Alexia to make a comment and froze. Leaning on her knees, she breathed heavily, little gasping noises escaping her throat. Before he could move to help her, Alexia collapsed onto the still sun-warmed concrete.  
  
Hurrying over to her, he dropped to his knees. Lifting her head so he could look into her eyes, he asked what had happened.  
  
"Nothing," she gasped weakly. "I'll be fine in a moment. You go find a phone and call the cops."  
  
"I'm not leaving you here alone," he snapped. "You can't even stand, let alone fight! And where are all the people? Surely somebody saw what just happened!"  
  
"People learn not to interfere here. It's the way of the world: Only help others if they can help you."  
  
"That's pathetic," Harry replied with a scowl. "You sound like-" Cutting himself off, he stared at his feet, blinking back the sudden rush of tears that came to his eyes.  
  
"Who," she asked curiously as she began to sit up, "who do I sound like?"  
  
"Nobody."  
  
"I sound like her don't I? I sound like Destiny Black."  
  
"Do you know her?" he asked urgently.  
  
Sighing, she rose unsteadily to her feet. "I used to-"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Your Destiny?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"She's gone."  
  
"Yes, I get that," Harry replied with exaggerated patience. "Now, where did she go?"  
  
"Harry, you do understand that people change right? Well, what I'm trying to tell you is that the girl you knew and loved doesn't exist anymore. Besides, I don't know anymore where she PHYSICALLY is."  
  
Silence descended as they made their way to the car, leaving the unconscious men lying on the ground.  
  
'She's lying,' Harry thought.  
  
*****  
  
After parking the car and walking back to Alexia's apartment, they both headed upstairs to talk.  
  
Walking into her apartment, Harry was stunned. From the outside you could never begin to imagine that the inside would look as it did. The walls were a light sky blue and the furniture was artfully decorated. There were glass objects everywhere, from every country and culture. Artifacts dating all the way back to ancient Egypt lined the walls and the famous paintings by various artists were exquisite.  
  
"Your home is beautiful," Harry murmured in awe. "If you can afford objects such as these, why do you live in such a place?"  
  
"Because," she replied, kicking her feet up onto a coffee table, "rich people are noticeable. Nobody ever looks at the poor ones, and in the poorer section, nobody asks questions that can't be answered."  
  
Sitting down slowly into a squishy arm chair, he asked about her obsession with being invisible.  
  
"When you're different, you have to be careful of the attention you draw to yourself. The English Ministry may be gone but the American one is still thriving. I do not wish to live to see another hunt, yet I have no desire to meet my demise just yet."  
  
After lightening the conversation for a while, Harry asked the question he'd been dying to have answered.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
Lowering her tea cup to her lap, she responded with an amused smirk. "Isn't that supposed to be a rude question to ask a lady?"  
  
"It's supposed to be but I don't know why that is, so that officially makes me free to ask it."  
  
Laughing, Alexia said, "I'm twenty-one."  
  
Harry smiled. "A true girl. Lying about your age."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I know you're a vampire," Harry stated. "I've seen pictures of you from the 1600's."  
  
"Oh," she mumbled.  
  
"So how old are you?"  
  
Smiling, she restated herself. "Twenty-one, I was twenty-one in the picture too."  
  
"Ah, I get it. You're saying you'll always be twenty-one, right?"  
  
"If you wish. Tell me about yourself; things that haven't been published in books."  
  
"Well," he said, reclining in his chair, "I work in the spying division. Of course that's public knowledge to, just not published yet. My job's kind of like active service in the Muggle world. I like chocolate."  
  
"You like chocolate? Wow, I feel so close to you now!"  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked suddenly. "You're starting to look kind of white."  
  
"I'm okay," was the reply from the suddenly quickly fading voice. "You need to leave. Now."  
  
"I'm not just going to leave if you're feeling bad-"  
  
"Just GO! I don't want your help!" she shouted. Seeing that she was serious, he rose to his feet and gave her a worried look. "GO!"  
  
Going to the door, he spotted something on a table he hadn't noticed before. There was a picture in a little silver frame and in the photo there were two people: a girl with black curly hair and an older man with short black hair.  
  
In her living room, Alexia de Winter had a picture of Sirius and Destiny Black. 


	4. Loyalties Revealed

Loyalties Revealed  
  
Chapter 4  
  
A week had passed since the three Englishmen had come to Las Vegas and after much convincing, they had managed to talk Alexia into coming to England with them- for a large sum of money.  
  
While helping pack up her belongings, Harry noticed that the picture in the living room was missing. After telling Remus, the werewolf's reply was that maybe she had already packed it.  
  
"Nothing else has been packed," Harry insisted.  
  
"Then maybe you just imagined it."  
  
"I did no such thing!"  
  
Shrugging, Remus went to help Sirius move a couch to the truck that would ship the vampire's belongings by boat. Alexia didn't trust magic with her artifacts and had insisted that the Muggles would take better care of them than any spell could. They had arrived at her apartment to find that she had sold all but her Ferrari in an attempt to make some money for the trip. Harry had insisted that the Order would pay for anything she needed but she had stated that if she accepted help, she would be in their debt- and that was clearly unacceptable to her.  
  
Arriving in England, Harry had to practically force Alexia to stay in his home until she could find a place of her own that she really wanted. She agreed on the grounds that when she wanted to be left alone, he respected that. Also, that he not want to know her every move.  
  
"I haven't had anyone around to keep an eye on me since I was young and I don't intend to start now."  
  
At Phoenix Headquarters, the day after he returned to England, Harry walked into the meeting he'd called the day before, looking exhausted. As he walked in, everyone looked up.  
  
Hermione Granger, Head of Researching and a close friend of Harry's, frowned in worry. "Harry? Are you alright?"  
  
"My new house mate is very nocturnal," was his only reply.  
  
Three wasted hours later, they were still no closer to figuring out how to get the vampire to tell them where her Queen was than when they had begun.  
  
"Come on people," Harry groaned in frustration. "Think! A person can't just disappear forever! Somebody has to know where she is!" Glancing at the people gathered in the room, he noticed that a great deal of them were shifting around uncomfortably. Suspicious, Harry narrowed his eyes. "Why are you all suddenly so nervous?"  
  
An old, slightly stooped gnome finally spoke up. "Why is it so important to find this girl?"  
  
"There is a prophecy that says without her, Voldemort wins."  
  
Several minutes passed before a surprising person spoke. Remus rubbed his temples before he said the words that would guarantee him a howler from the Queen of his people.  
  
"There are people who know where Destiny is," Remus admitted. "While they won't take you to her, they will relay messages between you."  
  
Watching him closely, Harry finally realized why Remus became so nervous and distant every time the Necromancer was mentioned.  
  
"You know where she is, don't you? You're one of those people that can act as a mediator, aren't you?" Even though Remus gave no response, through his blank face, Harry knew the answer. Horrified, he whispered, "You've known where she was for five years."  
  
Impatiently, Remus said, "Of course I knew where she was! The girl is sick Harry. She'll die soon and she doesn't need you ordering her around when things are as bleak as they are!"  
  
"How sick is she?" Harry asked thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" Remus asked in surprise.  
  
"Well, can she still walk or is she bedridden?"  
  
"Walk? You know, for all that research you did, you sure didn't learn any of the important facts."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked defensively.  
  
"What it means," a small fairy chirped from where she hovered, "is that Destiny's not human. When she dies, it is completely different from a human's death. From any other creatures death in fact and it's none of you business beyond that. Leave Lady Destiny alone."  
  
*****  
  
The meeting had ended after that with dark looks from the non-humans in the room being directed at the humans.  
  
"Remus," Harry called after the sandy haired man, "could I speak with you for a moment?"  
  
Giving him an impassive look, Remus quietly said, "I will not tell you where she is. Don't waste you breathe asking around either, nobody else will tell you anything."  
  
Stunned at the sudden switch in loyalty, Harry quickly changed tracks and smoothly said, "I wouldn't dream of having you betray her. I simply wanted to know if you would carry a message to Lady Destiny for me."  
  
"No," Remus stated. "I won't."  
  
"You won't?" Harry repeated with disbelief. "You aren't making a very good politician here."  
  
"I don't do politics. I'm a grunt for my Queen, nothing more." Smirking suddenly, Remus spoke again. "That doesn't mean though that I won't send in somebody else in my stead."  
  
Perking up at this bit of news, Harry quickly agreed to the new arrangement.  
  
The woman that was to be sent was a close confidant of Destiny's and would be able to make the simple decisions for her. Harry was slightly weary about allowing this woman into headquarters after the werewolf admitted that he'd never actually met the girl, just heard about her.  
  
"How will I know it's her?"  
  
"You won't, but I will," he responded cryptically.  
  
As Remus rose to leave the office that they'd settled in, Harry asked sadly to the other mans' back the question he knew had to be asked.  
  
"Moony, when did your undying loyalty to me fade?"  
  
Pausing but refusing to look back, Remus whispered, "It still exists. It's just stronger for her because I know that I will still be able to protect you long after she has been forgotten by the world."  
  
*****  
  
Destiny's mediator arrived the next morning in the middle of a meeting with the Muggle leaders from around the world. In the middle of discussing whether or not Muggles should be included in the approaching war, the girl burst in.  
  
She was a tall, lanky girl with shoulder length, brown, fly-away hair. With wide, slanted eyes, the girl could easily be considered beautiful but, by her stance, was not someone to be messed with.  
  
Not realizing who she was- nor caring about the threatening air about her, Harry rose to his feet and demanded to know who she thought she was to just barge into places she wasn't supposed to be.  
  
"Shut it Potter. You invited me here; therefore, I am welcome until such a time that you no longer wish to converse with Des."  
  
Realizing who she was with a start, Harry quickly excused himself and asked the Muggles to reconvene after they'd had lunch.  
  
"I'm very sorry about yelling. It's been a very stressful week."  
  
Looking at him coolly, she immediately got to the point.  
  
"I'm not here to chat. What is your message?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Harry rolled his eyes. "How about we start with a name?"  
  
"Dakota."  
  
Squinting his eyes at her, he replied with, "Dakota? ... You seem familiar."  
  
"As I should, we've met before. You were just a little boy at the time though. Don't you remember? It was in the middle of the Forbidden Forest; you had followed Destiny so you could spy on her."  
  
"You're the shape-shifter!"  
  
"Yes," she replied with a slight smile.  
  
"But you were only twenty or so then."  
  
"No, I was thirty-two at the time. My age just took a while to catch up with my appearance. Enough of that though. What do you wish for me to tell her?"  
  
"Tell her that if she were to come back, she would be well protected."  
  
"You know," Dakota mused, "you've forgotten. If you can remember, you can find her. Remember this: time changes people. Perhaps you should stop searching for what your mind remembers and instead let your heart find her. Just a suggestion," she added with a shrug. "I'll return tomorrow with demands and negotiations."  
  
*****  
  
The day passed quickly with Harry desperately trying to remember whatever it was that he had forgotten. The muggle leaders had returned and had agreed to start readying their troops for battle.  
  
"Too many have died. We can no longer idly sit by and wait for someone to save us," a leader from South America proclaimed with a thick accent. "It is time for us to save ourselves. When can we attack?"  
  
After continuing these talks for many hours, dates were set and strategies were made. War was coming, and Harry relished in the thought that when this was finally over, he would be able to lead a normal life.  
  
***** Returning home that night, Harry opened the front door and froze.  
  
'Whoa.' he thought, looking around.  
  
Everything sparkled, newly cleaned. The smell of something cooking wafted through the house and the television blared in the living room. The house had never felt homey and more often than not, felt more like a museum than a place to be lived in. Since Alexia had moved in, she'd constantly done everything possible to make it seem like a happier place.  
  
"Alexia?" Harry called, picking up his mail off the table in the entrance way and absentmindedly flipping through it. Walking distractedly into the kitchen, he glanced to where the woman was sitting with her head in her hands, breathing erratically. "Are you alright?"  
  
Head snapping up, Alexia smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Just need to eat."  
  
"You don't look fine. In fact, you look like death-" Drawing in a sharp breath, he immediately halted his sentence. 'You idiot! Of course she looks pale! She is technically dead! And she said she needs to eat. Oh, God! She eats blood!' Changing the topic quickly, he recalled for her the happenings of the day. "Do you know anything about this? Have you had any recent visions?"  
  
Shaking her head, she gave him a thoughtful look. "I know Dakota though. She's nice. Why don't you let me handle her? You just seem to rub her the wrong way."  
  
*****  
  
The next day, Harry decided to bring the vampire to work so that Hermione could meet her- and figure out what was going on with her. Problems came though when he remembered that Alexia couldn't go out into the sunlight. After debating with himself, he decided to risk insulting her and just ask her how she got around in the daylight.  
  
Holding up her hand, she showed him the lapis-lulus ring on her finger.  
  
"All vampires wear this ring. You can't identify one by it though. The stone may be in a toe ring, a necklace, or set in earrings. Also, Muggles wear this stone just because it's pretty. It gives vampires the ability to walk in the daylight and not burn." Seeing the horror in the Mages eyes, she growled threateningly, "You got a problem with a vampire being able to have the basic rights that you enjoy?"  
  
"No, it's just. Sorry. I've been taught that prejudice since I was little. I didn't really mean it."  
  
"Yes," Alexia said firmly, "you did."  
  
Cringing at the memories the angry words had brought up, Harry closed his eyes. He could still hear Destiny talking about equal rights. He could still see her standing against the world, desperate to be free; to live without fear, yet bound to her people and forced to be what she was. 'Someday Des. Someday.'  
  
"Maybe someday kids' won't be taught to fear differences, but if Voldemort isn't defeated, we'll never see that day."  
  
Smiling at his sudden insightfulness, Alexia picked up her purse and walked to the door.  
  
"Well then, let's hurry and make that someday today."  
  
*****  
  
When Harry and Alexia arrived at Phoenix headquarters, the place was in chaos. All over, were people lined up along the walls, completely silent as secretaries, department heads, and field agents ran up and down the hallways in complete disorder.  
  
"Potter!" a gruff voice shouted. "Where have you been?"  
  
"I wasn't informed there was a problem. What's going on? Who are all of these people?"  
  
With Alastor Moody's wooden leg thumping along beside them, they hurried towards the meeting room, Alexia grinning brightly.  
  
"Looks like you made a good bargain," Moody replied approvingly.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"It looks like your Necromancer Queen really knows how to make good on her end of a deal."  
  
Coming to such a sudden stop that Alexia ran into the back of him, Harry stared in shock at the people lined up along the walls. When you actually looked for it, you could quite clearly see that most of them weren't human.  
  
"Do we know who's in charge of them?"  
  
"We've been more concerned about what we're going to do with all of them. They just keep arriving!"  
  
Stepping away from the other two, Harry whistled loudly for their attention.  
  
"Who's in charge here?"  
  
"Who do you think?" a laughing voice said from behind him. Turning around, he found he was unsurprised to see Dakota standing there.  
  
"What is all of this? I thought we were going to discuss our terms today!"  
  
"Things had to be advanced," Dakota replied nonchalantly.  
  
"What are we supposed to do with all of these people?"  
  
"I don't know; figure something out. As soon as you get some strategies worked out, we're ready." Numbly, Harry repeated her. "Well, this IS what you wanted: the chance to destroy Voldemort. Five years ago, Destiny Black promised an army; today she makes good on her word. Now you must complete YOUR end of the bargain."  
  
"And what exactly does she want in return for all of this?" Moody asked, gesturing to the people around them.  
  
"She wants the person of her choosing to be co-leader of the Wizarding World, for equality in all jobs; for basic human rights. If you agree and don't keep your word, we will hunt you to the ends of the earth. You can count on that." 


	5. The First Battle

The First Battle  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Leaving Alexia with Dakota turned out to have been a wonderful idea. Everyone seemed to love the vampire and willingly did as they were told.  
  
After a brief meeting with the strategy and research departments, scouts were sent to find the Dark Lord's exact location. Twelve hours later, the final preparations were being made for the attack.  
  
*****  
  
"Dakota."  
  
Hearing her name being called, the shape-shifter turned to look down the darkened hallway.  
  
"Where are you?" she whispered quietly in return.  
  
"In the closet; sitting on a bucket. Come here."  
  
Glancing around to be sure that nobody was following her, Dakota slipped soundlessly into the tiny space.  
  
"Lady Destiny, how are you?"  
  
"I have to pee, but I'll deal with that later. Is everything set?"  
  
"I believe so. The attack is scheduled for tomorrow. Will you be coming?"  
  
"What kind of Queen would I be if I wasn't willing to die for my people?"  
  
"An awful Queen, but if you die; who will lead us?"  
  
"Stanton is fully capable of replacing me."  
  
"Ew! That blood sucker?"  
  
Smiling slightly, Destiny murmured, "He will be good to the people." Pausing, Destiny continued. "How does Harry appear to be accepting Alexia?"  
  
"He is accepting her, but My Lady, Alexia will not be able to make Harry forget about you."  
  
"We shall see."  
  
Sighing, Dakota sat on a bucket across from the Necromancer. "Have you given anymore thought to finding a cure?"  
  
"A cure for Necromancy? No, I am what I am. I'm not a little girl anymore and I no longer wish to be something I am not. Besides, time has a way of giving back what has been lost, through memories. and wisdom." Seeing that the other girl was blinking back tears, Destiny reached out and squeezed her hand. "I haven't given up yet."  
  
Sniffing, Dakota changed the subject. "Harry didn't notice you, did he?"  
  
"No. He's searching for a child, a girl he once knew. If he doesn't remember, he will never find me. Go now. I'll see you on the battle field."  
  
"Goodbye Milady. I'll see you soon."  
  
*****  
  
The next day dawned cool and clear, a perfect September day. Harry, who was just putting on the last pieces of his War Mage garbs, turned at the knock on his door. Calling for her to come in, he smiled at the vampires outfit. She appeared in the doorway wearing a dark maroon corset style shirt and a long skirt that opened in a V at the knees revealing her long white legs. Wrapped around her shoulders was a black cloak, made of the finest material around.  
  
"Hello Alexia. Nice dress; are you going somewhere?"  
  
"I'm coming to the battle with you."  
  
"In THAT?"  
  
"You just concentrate on you; I'll take care of myself."  
  
Shaking his head, Harry tried not to laugh at his housemates bizarre habits. "Whatever you say," he mumbled, sliding his knives into their holsters.  
  
*****  
  
Trying to inconspicuously move an entire army, even under the cover of trees, was not an easy thing to do at the best of time. Splitting up into groups of five, the army was to spread out along the outer perimeter of the stone fortress and wait for Harry's group to disable the wards and give the signal to attack.  
  
As Harry, Ron, Sirius, Remus, and Arabella Figg crept closer to the fortress, Harry whispered, "Keep low. We don't want to be seen until it's time."  
  
Hunching over, he ran to the cover of a tree. Pulling out the magical glasses that would allow him to see the wards surrounding the building, he squinted as a red line appeared a mere foot in front of him.  
  
"Don't anybody move! There are wards all over!"  
  
Sirius, freezing in a comical position, hissed, "Are you sure? How did you manage to make it that far then?"  
  
"Pure dumb luck," Arabella whispered looking through her own pair a glasses.  
  
Passing the glasses to Sirius, the Animagi's eyes widened. "Stay here. I'm going to disable them," Sirius hissed.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Sirius had yet to make a dent in the wards and motioned for his Godson to try. Within ten minutes, Harry had managed to make it through half the wards when Sirius hissed, "Hit the dirt!" Moments later, a group of Death Eaters walked through the wards as if they weren't even there and entered the building.  
  
"How did they do that?" Harry frowned.  
  
Nodding at his sudden understanding, Remus said, "The Dark Mark on their arm allows them to pass unharmed."  
  
Twenty minutes later, the small group was moving silently along the outer perimeter of the building, looking for an entrance when they saw it. It was a Phoenix, its feathers a deep red with silver tips. The deep red seemed to glow as if on fire and made a soft halo of light encircle it.  
  
"Wow," Remus murmured. "What is such a pretty creature doing in a place like this?"  
  
Feeling as if he should recognize the creature from somewhere, Harry said slowly, "We can't worry about that now. We need to get the attack started before we're found."  
  
Giving the signal, invisibility charms were placed over the groups as they all made their way silently into the fortress. Upon entering, everyone froze. Sitting on a throne was none other than Lord Voldemort.  
  
"Hello little boy," Voldemort sneered. "We've been waiting." With a wave of his hand, the invisibility charms broke and the screams began.  
  
*****  
  
Leaping forward from where he had hidden in the shadows, Stanton grabbed the first Death Eater he could catch and snapped his neck. He cared nothing for who won or lost. His only care was to get as many Dark Creatures out of this hell hole alive as possible. He had warned Destiny of what would happen but she had refused to listen.  
  
'Just as you knew she would,' he thought to himself bitterly, battling his way to that idiot Potters' side.  
  
He had promised Destiny as they'd headed to the battle that he wouldn't let the boy die. He'd lived long enough to know the consequences of messing with prophesy. Having grown up in the time of the Crusades, Stanton was well aware of battle techniques and knew how to survive in a guaranteed loss.  
  
Jumping forward, he grabbed a Death Eater that was aiming for The Boy Who Lived, and sank his fangs into his- no her- neck. The woman struggled briefly before going limp.  
  
Smiling evilly, he started forward again. 'This could actually end up being the most fun I've had in centuries!'  
  
*****  
  
From where she stood, Destiny smiled. So far Voldemort had yet to take part in the fight. Walking to where the snake-like man stood, she tilted her head and looked at him inquisitively.  
  
"Death, something you love," Destiny said, looking around serenely at the blood and broken bodies. "Does this please you?" Eyes suddenly flashing, she bared her teeth. "Or do you prefer when it's NOT your people dying?"  
  
"Hello Destiny Black," Voldemort replied, completely ignoring her questions. "You've changed," he added, taking in her drastically failing health.  
  
"You haven't. I may not be more than a ghost of a person, but I am more powerful than ever."  
  
Drawing his wand, Voldemort twirled it idly. "Care to prove that?"  
  
"This isn't our battle. We will duel when the time comes."  
  
Without farther comment, she vanished into thin air. Reappearing on the other side of the room, she watched the death with an impassive expression.  
  
'No, it isn't time yet. Soon though.'  
  
*****  
  
Cringing in pain at the wound that marred his side, Harry leaned against the wall, watching his army fight.  
  
And die.  
  
They were losing, yet they didn't retreat.  
  
"They're waiting for the order." a voice whispered in his mind.  
  
'Destiny?' he thought, confused and wondering if he had begun to hallucinate from loss of blood.  
  
Feeling as though a soft hand had brushed over his cheek, he heard her voice whisper, "My people are dying. Retreat and live to fight another day."  
  
Snapping out of his trance, he glanced around. Harry felt as though much time had passed but, looking around, he saw that it had only been a few seconds.  
  
Raising his wand, he sent out a shower of sparks and yelled for an all out retreat. Grabbing their wounded and dead, the Dark Creatures vanished with a pop before the humans even began to process the order they had been given.  
  
Grabbing a teenage elf-boy that had been injured, Harry made sure that his people were leaving before apparating back to headquarters.  
  
*****  
  
The scene that greeted Harry was much as he had expected to see. People were lying broken and bleeding on the floor while medi-witches tried desperately to save as many as possible. Walking through the disaster scene, he finally managed to corner a nurse.  
  
"What should I do?"  
  
The frazzled witch pointed down the hall to an open door. "Go find people that are dead and take them to that room. We need to be able to get to the injured without having to sort through the dead."  
  
Nodding, Harry hurried to the nearest person and felt for a pulse. Feeling nothing, he turned the woman's corpse over and closed his eyes.  
  
When it had just been nameless, faceless people suffering, it hadn't really hit him to how real this was. Lying before him though was the proof. The girl was not much younger than him; the daughter of a man who worked in his department.  
  
"If you're not going to help," a familiar voice snapped, "then get out of the way."  
  
Looking up, he could see Dakota and Alexandria standing over him.  
  
"Stop it Dakota. He obviously knew the girl," Alexia said sternly.  
  
Scooping the girl into his arms, he stood, turning his back to the two females and walked away without a word. He knew he should have responded but his heart felt like lead.  
  
Reaching the open door, he froze. The room was being piled with bodies, each tagged with their name.  
  
"Sad, isn't it?" Alexia murmured, coming to stand beside him. "Maybe now you can understand what this is like from a Dark Creatures prospective."  
  
Looking at the white haired woman beside him, he snapped angrily, "I don't see why they would suffer any more from the death of a loved one than anyone else would."  
  
"No," she replied tonelessly, "I don't suppose you would."  
  
Pulling the girl from his arms, Alexia walked silently into the room. As he watched her, he was confused when he saw her put the body in a different corner from the large pile. In this corner, the corpses were being laid out nicely, not stacked. Horror began to dawn on him as he looked between the two piles: one massive, one with five bodies.  
  
Stopping beside him on the way out, she whispered almost to herself, "It's amazing how human they look in death, yet not even then are they considered equals."  
  
*****  
  
It was hours before things returned to a semblance of calm.  
  
"Mr. Potter?" a young witch inquired. "We have the final count."  
  
Raising his head from his hands, he sighed. A final death count, a list of MIA's, and the names of all that were injured.  
  
"How many are dead?"  
  
"Fifty-three humans; one hundred and twenty Dark Creatures are dead, Sir. There are only twenty injuries that can't be healed with time. They're to be moved to St. Mungo's within the hour."  
  
"How many are missing?"  
  
"Surprisingly only ten. It seems that everyone was prepared to take back with them a body."  
  
"No, not everyone- only Destiny's army. What were we thinking in that attack?"  
  
"I don't know Sir. I wasn't there."  
  
"Could I have the list? I'd like to personally contact families if possible."  
  
Taking the list, Harry made his way to his office before sitting down heavily.  
  
'What an awful day.' Rubbing his eyes, he looked down at the list. On it, there was only one name that he recognized. 'No!' he thought frantically, terror causing him to begin to shake.  
  
Sirius Black's name seemed to stand out, almost supernaturally, from the parchment. 


	6. Pasts Remembered

Pasts Remembered  
  
Chapter 6  
  
'Sirius.'  
  
Jolting back to reality, Harry hurried towards where he knew the strategists of the Order were assessing the damage. Bursting through the door, he yelled for Remus. Glancing up, the werewolf immediately looked concerned.  
  
"How long have you known that he was missing?" Harry growled.  
  
"Since about ten minutes after we got back," Remus replied calmly.  
  
"Who's missing?" Dakota asked curiously.  
  
"Sirius," Harry snapped. Turning back to the werewolf, he quietly asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"  
  
"What difference would it have made? We couldn't have gone back and it would have just caused even more worry and panic."  
  
"Look at it this way: at least there is not yet any proof that he is dead. There is still hope that he is alive," Stanton replied.  
  
Glaring at them, Harry began snapping orders to get maps and start preparing to rescue the ten missing in action.  
  
*****  
  
In the dark cell where he had been thrown, Sirius Black struggled to open his eyes. Looking at his surroundings, he tried to recall what had happened. In a flash, he remembered the pathetic battle that had ensued. After hearing Harry give the order to retreat, he had raised his wand to apparate when he'd heard Destiny, his little girl, yell to save the bodies. Spinning around and searching frantically for the location of the voice, he'd been stunned by a Death Eater for standing still for to long.  
  
Groaning, he rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Is he waking?" a voice murmured.  
  
"I believe so."  
  
"It's about time!" a male voice snapped.  
  
"Shut-up, you're not helping!" a girl's voice replied sharply.  
  
Blinking up at the people crowded around him while trying to focus his eyes, Sirius whispered hoarsely, "How long have I been out?"  
  
"About a day," the woman who'd spoken last replied. Reaching out, she helped him sit up. "You hit your head pretty hard when you fell. How do you feel?"  
  
"Crappie, but I'll be fine in a little while." Looking around at the assembled faces, he frowned. "Who are all of you? I don't recognize any of you."  
  
"No, you wouldn't, would you? You never pay attention to anything that doesn't pertain specifically to you." Sighing, the woman visibly deflated. "My name is Mia and I am an elf."  
  
"Hang on, I do know you! You helped train Harry to be a War Mage!"  
  
"Yes," she said simply, "I did."  
  
"So you can get us out of here, right?"  
  
"No, I can't help. None of us can. This place has wards that repel magic. Besides, if we wait long enough; help will come."  
  
"They may figure that we're dead and not come at all."  
  
"Lady Destiny would never leave us to die. If we aren't all accounted for, a rescue team will be sent. It may take some time though."  
  
Looking around at the sad state they all were in, Sirius couldn't help but wonder how long they could make it.  
  
*****  
  
Later that evening, after returning to his home, Harry sat in front of a fire, a drink in hand, staring broodingly at the flames. Coming silently into the room, Alexia paused by the heavy oak, French door. Moving slowly to the chair next to his, she lowered herself down carefully.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"No."  
  
"It'll help." When she didn't receive an answer, she changed the topic. "I lived in the medieval times, you know. It was awful. People wasted so much time worrying about keeping their family names spotless that they often lost track of what was important. I grew up with a wealthy merchant as a father and had everything I wanted. My mother died when I was fifteen and that's when everything began to change. The world I had always known was gone forever. Time passed, we mourned, and I began to move on. When I was, oh, about nineteen, I met this boy named Cameron. He was wonderful, everything I could ever want. He came from some far away place that I could only dream of and swept me off my feet. We courted for a year before HE came."  
  
Having finally drawn him into the story, Harry asked who 'he' was.  
  
Laughing softly, she continued. "He was a vampire."  
  
Straightening in his chair, Harry's eyes widened. "He's the one who changed you isn't he?"  
  
"He was responsible for the de Winter vampire clan, yes." Pausing, she smiled. "You actually know him too. His name is Stanton."  
  
"Stanton? That white haired vampire from work?" Seeing her nod of conformation, Harry asked, "Why did he change you?"  
  
"Respect, loneliness: a lot of things. I'll explain it later sometime. It was when I met Stanton though that I found out I was a witch. Actually, I'd already known but he began to teach me the magic that I should have learned at Hogwarts."  
  
"Why didn't you go to Hogwarts if you were magical?"  
  
"Circumstances; circumstances that have been around forever." Before he could ask, she waved away his question. "It's none of your concern. It's too late to change it anyway. The world is as it is and she'll not be changed. This is not the point of the story though."  
  
"The point is I learned the magic that I was taught and had both the brains and the talent to be the best. I would have been too if it hadn't been for LOVE." Bowing her head, she closed her eyes on the welling tears and tried to control her breathing. "Cameron was also a wizard but had left the magical world to live as a muggle so that he would not have to deal with the evil that came with the magic."  
  
"When he found out I was accepting my magic, that I was slowly doing magic that wasn't exactly smiled upon, that I wasn't the muggle I had pretended to be. he. he didn't take it well."  
  
"Meaning he completely freaked out," Harry summarized.  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"How did you and your family end up being changed?"  
  
"Cameron betrayed us to the authorities with the accusation of witchcraft and they came after us. Our house was burned and we were caught in the flames. We escaped but my entire family was dying. Stanton changed them at my request and we all lived- sort of anyway."  
  
"About a week after the burning of my home, I was found in the forest where I had taken refuge, and was drug out before the crowd." Smiling savagely, she said proudly, "They hung me for being a witch that day. I can still feel the bones in my neck snapping."  
  
"You were hung?" he asked with disbelief. "Why would someone who supposedly loved you do that to you?"  
  
"I'm not sure. He was in the crowd that day though. He came up before I climbed onto the scaffold and said that he was sorry. I forgave him and." Coming to a halt, Alexia suddenly changed the topic. "Tell me about yourself and your misfortunes."  
  
Cocking his eyebrows, he smiled bitterly. "Misery loves company?"  
  
"Something like that."  
  
"Well," he started, reclining back into his chair. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"I know your school story, so, how about what happened after graduation?"  
  
"After Destiny left, I just kind of hung around a lot. I just didn't care anymore. Things were getting worse with Voldemort when an elf named Mia approached me about becoming a War Mage. With nothing better to do, I agreed. From seventeen to twenty, I spent learning the art of the Mage."  
  
Giving him a disbelieving look, she raised her eyebrows and whispered, "Three years. My Lord, you managed to become a full fledged MAGE in THREE YEARS? That's completely impossible!"  
  
"Well, it actually took four years. I trained with Destiny for a year before she disappeared."  
  
Reaching out her hand and taking his in hers, she murmured, "You really miss her, don't you?"  
  
Glancing at her, he quickly looked back at the floor. Running his hand tiredly through his hair, he squeezed his eyes shut in pain.  
  
"I would do anything for the chance to see her one more time; to hold her in my arms for just a moment."  
  
"You will one day," Alexia replied soothingly.  
  
"How do you know? You could be wrong."  
  
"I promise you," she replied sincerely, "you WILL see her once more before the end."  
  
*****  
  
Glancing cautiously over his shoulder, Draco Malfoy hurried through the dungeons, ignoring the prisoners pitiful begging. Stopping at a cell in the very back of the dungeons, he glanced inside and cleared his throat to get the prisoners attention. The looks he received were enough to make a lesser man retreat in fear.  
  
"Psst, Black!" Rising to his feet, Sirius glared hatefully at the younger man. Waving him forwards, he hissed, "Help is coming."  
  
"Do you honestly think I'm going to believe a word you say? You're a Death Eater and a Malfoy."  
  
"I may be guilty of both but I am also your daughter's best friend. The only friend she trusted enough not to abandon." Pausing to be sure they were listening, he continued in a whisper. "Destiny is coming- be ready."  
  
Without glancing back, Draco strolled from the damp dungeons and into the sunlight.  
  
*****  
  
Twenty-four hours later, Sirius sat on the cold floor and watched as the other captives tried desperately to keep Derek Lupe alive after his encounter with the Cruciatus Curse. Turning his head away, he sighed in defeat. It hadn't taken long for him to figure out who the old man was since everyone seemed to defer to him for everything. He was the leader of the shape-shifters. Remus had mentioned him before.  
  
'Well, he won't be much longer and then Dakota will take his place.'  
  
Cringing at the thought, he glanced back to the center of the cramped cell. The old man was taking his last breaths, the death rattle clearly heard by all.  
  
A couple of minutes after complete silence had descended, Mia spoke up. "What should we do with the body?"  
  
Nobody bothered to reply; there was no need to. They all understood that it wouldn't matter in a day or so; they would be joining him.  
  
*****  
  
Creeping quietly through the underbrush of the forest, a small snowy white fox lifted its head and sniffed at the air. Catching the scent it was searching for, the fox ran forward, dodging trees and stumps.  
  
Time was running short and the small fox knew that the hunt had begun.  
  
*****  
  
Walking swiftly through the swirling gray mist, Destiny looked at the figures walking next to her: Lily and James Potter, her best friends. Returning her attention to the path before her, she frowned. The Potters' wondering on earth was about to come to a close. The Necromancer was going to make sure that when she died, they had been freed from their imprisonment.  
  
*****  
  
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Sirius could feel tears blurring his vision. He had forgotten just how painful the Cruciatus Curse was and prayed to never feel it again.  
  
Two days had passed since their capture. Two long, agonizing days and still there was no sign that his daughter was coming to rescue them. Truthfully though, Sirius hoped she wouldn't. He just couldn't bear to see her die.  
  
As he was thinking this, a black, swirling hole appeared in the room and a figure cloaked in white stepped out. With the hood up and her face shrouded in darkness, none of her features were visible. Stepping farther into the room, she froze at the sight of Derek Lupe's corpse. Glancing at the state of the living in the room, she focused her attention upon the elf.  
  
"Mia, there are only seven living in this room. Where are the other two?"  
  
"They're dead," she replied quietly.  
  
Nodding, the woman motioned to the swirling portal.  
  
"Pick up Derek and let's go."  
  
As two shape-shifters carefully lifted their fallen leader, the woman turned to Sirius.  
  
"Hello," she whispered.  
  
Staring at her in disbelief, Sirius responded incredulously. "Hello? Destiny you disappeared for five years and all you have to say is HELLO?"  
  
"Look," she murmured, "now is not the time for this. We'll discuss our problems when we have reached safety."  
  
"Good, then you can explain to Harry why you abandoned him."  
  
"Oh no," Destiny replied, "I'm not taking you to Harry. I'll be taking you to Dakota and she will deal with Harry. Now get up, we have to be going."  
  
Walking back to the hole, she froze when she heard what her father's response was. "They were right about you. You really do have a heart of stone and no soul." 


	7. Destiny's Death

Destiny's Death  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Walking around the outer perimeter of the room, Dakota couldn't help but bite her nails nervously.  
  
"Dakota, please sit down. Pacing isn't going to make them arrive any sooner," Remus said soothingly.  
  
"Excuse me for caring that my family and friends are in danger!"  
  
Lounging back into the chair, Remus only raised an eyebrow in her direction. "It still won't change a thing."  
  
Coming to a stop, she flopped onto the couched, beside him. Rolling onto her back, she flung her feet into his lap.  
  
"How can you always be so calm?"  
  
"How can you always be so hyper?"  
  
Smiling, Dakota propped herself up onto her elbows. "Who knows?" Looking into the fire that burned in the hearth, she forced herself not to look at the clock on the mantle. "How is the Sirius-Julia thing going?"  
  
Snorting, Remus said, "They're working on it."  
  
Suspiciously, she asked, "Have they made progress?"  
  
"Oh yeah! They're dating and I suspect Sirius is going to propose soon. Everything would be perfect in that family if Destiny would just go home."  
  
"She has her reasons."  
  
"I know. But still. Sirius is my friend and it's killing me to see him so miserable."  
  
"I don't see why he cares so much. I mean, he knew her for less than a year-"  
  
"They hung out constantly though. Whenever she wasn't with Harry, she was with her father."  
  
"Well, Destiny is going to rescue them so they will have a chance to talk."  
  
Pursing his lips, Remus exhaled loudly. "I just hope he doesn't screw everything up."  
  
*****  
  
Stunned, Destiny couldn't move for a moment. Shaking herself out of her shocked state, she turned around and let a low growling noise escape her.  
  
"Stone is it? Last I heard it was ice. But then, the last man that was fool enough to say that is now six feet under." Stepping back from the hovering hole, she gave a mocking bow and hissed, "After you Daddy."  
  
Not wanting to be left alone with this creature that had once been his beloved daughter, Sirius stepped past her and onto the Ghost Roads.  
  
*****  
  
After traveling for a long while on the Roads of the Dead, the group of dirty prisoners finally reached the lighted hole at the end of the road. No trouble had been seen from the usually slightly violent spirits and Sirius couldn't help but wonder at it.  
  
"Why are the ghosts not bothering us?" Sirius finally asked.  
  
"They wouldn't dare," Destiny answered simply. Turning her hooded face in his direction, she saw his questioning expression. "Why don't you ask Remus why when you get back; I don't feel like explaining it to a person like you."  
  
"Like him?" Mia asked, bouncing up to stand beside them.  
  
"A prejudice git who has no idea why things are the way that they are, yet feels the need to blame it on the more unfortunate."  
  
"Wow," Mia giggled, "that was very Dawson's Creek of you."  
  
"Thank you, I try."  
  
As Destiny moved ahead of the group and waited by the light for the others to catch up, Mia grabbed Sirius by the arm and hissed, "Stay away from her! She has enough crap to deal with without having to make peace with her father before she dies!"  
  
Sighing, he asked defeatedly, "So, she is dying then? Why doesn't she just come home so we can get help for her?"  
  
"If she goes home, Harry and the rest of the people she considers family will see her die. She would never let that happen. When it is time, she will be alone and nobody will know exactly when it happens." Putting a sympathetic hand on his arm, she looked pleadingly up at him. "She's not trying to be cruel; it's just her way of protecting herself from being hurt. The kindest thing you can do is just let her go-"  
  
"No, I won't! I will do everything I can to bring her home and to find a cure to whatever the heck it is that she has!"  
  
"Why do you care? After all, I thought that she didn't have a soul."  
  
*****  
  
At Dakota's almost bare apartment, the shape-shifter was ecstatic when the portal to the Ghost Roads opened in her living room. Stepping gracefully into the room, Destiny nodded at the other two inhabitants.  
  
"Seven have lived; three have died. Make it known that the humans have lived because of my peoples deaths and that enough of them are dead because of stupidity. You will bring all decisions to me from this point on and I will approve of whether or not my army will fight."  
  
Nodding once more at them, Destiny stepped around the rescued prisoners and vanished back into the darkness.  
  
"Remus?" Sirius Black snarled, causing Dakota to quickly jerk her head around to see them. "Exactly how sick is my daughter? If you lie, I will kill you."  
  
Raising an eyebrow at his friends' currently weak condition, the werewolf glanced over at the shape-shifter princess. Shrugging at him, she made her way over to her dead father's body and watched as Remus turned back to his childhood friend.  
  
"She'll be dead by her birthday, probably sooner."  
  
Staring at him in disbelief, Sirius whispered in horror, "Do you even care?"  
  
Sternly, Remus replied. "Yes, I do. She is suffering though. More than you can imagine and all everyone can do is treat her like she's a completely abomination!"  
  
Guiltily, he whispered, "Isn't there anything that we can do to save her?"  
  
Sighing, Remus flopped down onto the threadbare couch and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "We can do nothing to help her. But. there are cures."  
  
"If there are cures, why can't we get them for her? Or, better yet, why doesn't she get the cures for herself?"  
  
"Because," Dakota whispered, looking up from where she was kneeling, "the cure is unthinkable to her."  
  
"You said cures though. As in, more than one." Sirius hinted not very subtly.  
  
Glancing at each other, Remus caught Mia making frantic, exaggerated arm motions, desperately trying to shut them up. Ignoring her, Remus faced Sirius, his eyes full of pain.  
  
"Harry is Destiny's cure. Without him, she will die. The problem is Harry would have to cure her without ever knowing there was one."  
  
"How is that possible? Is it even?"  
  
"Yes," Mia replied softly.  
  
Rising swiftly to his feet, Remus grabbed his coat and began to pull it on. "Destiny is a survivor. She's not going to go down without a fight. You can count on that."  
  
*****  
  
At Phoenix headquarters, Harry ran as fast as his legs would carry him, eager to be reunited with his Godfather. Stopping at the door to the hospital wing, he took a deep breath and tried to calmly open the door.  
  
Sitting on a bed near the door with a nurse leaning over him and clucking her tongue in a disapproving manner, was Sirius Black.  
  
"Dear God woman!" Sirius snapped, pushing the offending lady away. "Your hovering is more likely to kill me than anything else!"  
  
Clearing his throat to get their attention, Harry waited until he was alone with his Godfather before moving farther into the room.  
  
Feeling his breath start to come in short, shallow gasps, Harry closed his eyes against the onslaught of tears that tried to force their way out. Hearing the bed creak, Harry opened his watering eyes to see his Godfather rising unsteadily to his feet.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
As Sirius opened his arms to the younger man, Harry felt the hardened walls that he had built around himself for the past five years, begin to crumble and fall. Letting out a strangled cry, the War Mage flung himself into the animagi's arms and buried his face in his chest. Instantly, five years of pain and loneliness began to pour out. Holding the sobbing young man in his arms, Sirius sank back down onto the bed and gently stroked Harry's hair.  
  
They sat like that for a long while. Minutes or hours may have passed yet neither moved. Finally Harry spoke. "I thought that I was going to lose you. That you would leave like everyone else."  
  
"I would never leave you," Sirius murmured soothingly.  
  
Sitting back, Harry wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeves as he replied. "Destiny once said that she would always be there. My parents should have always been there. No matter the cause, I always seem to end up alone. I'm always the one left behind." Silence blanketed the room and Sirius couldn't think of a way to break it. Finally though, Harry spoke again. "Why do you suppose it is that I'm always the one forced to bury my friends? Why am I always the one forced to say goodbye?"  
  
"I don't know kid, I just don't know."  
  
Looking down at his feet, Harry spoke in a whisper. "Everyone sees me as this great hero, an undefeatable War Mage. I'm supposed to be brave. What do you think the world would say if they found out that I was scared to death of dying?"  
  
"You know Harry, being brave isn't about being fearless. It's about doing what has to be done in spite of that fear."  
  
"Maybe I'm just not strong enough."  
  
"You will be- someday. You just need a reason."  
  
*****  
  
Sirius was released from the hospital wing the next day on the condition that he would stay with Harry and rest.  
  
Arriving at the mansion, Sirius grinned at the changes that had occurred in the place.  
  
"Alexia been remodeling?" he chirped happily.  
  
"She's completely redone the place."  
  
Where the once overgrown gardens had been, there were now flowers of every variety blooming beautifully. The grass was cut and trimmed and the shutters looked as if someone had painted about half before quitting, leaving the paint brush to lie in the grass.  
  
"Looks good," Sirius nodded approvingly. Walking into the house, he squinted his eyes. "Whoa, kind of dark don't you think?"  
  
"Sh, she's asleep," Harry whispered, pointing over to where the girl laid on the couch, still as death. Picking up the blanket, Harry gently laid it across the vampire.  
  
"Going sweet on her Harry?" Sirius asked curiously.  
  
"No!" he hissed back, frowning.  
  
Smiling slightly at his Godson, Sirius patted him on the back before moving to the grand staircase. Pausing at the bottom, he spoke without turning. "It's okay for you to move on you know. Nobody would be angry with you and." Sighing, Sirius turned. "Kiddo, Destiny's not coming back. I think it's time for you- for everyone- to move on. Des will command her army from a distance and eventually she will die. We need to respect her wishes and let her go in peace." Moving slowly, he made his way up the stairs. When he reached the top, he glanced down to where Harry still stood frozen to the floor. "Oh, by the way, you may want to have a talk with Draco Malfoy. He would be a perfect spy."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"The fact that he's spying for the Dark Creatures and has yet to be caught. Just a thought."  
  
*****  
  
The next day, Harry owled Draco Malfoy and asked the other man to meet him for lunch. Malfoy declined. The day after receiving the owl, Harry invited Draco to meet him anywhere the other man wanted. He accepted and the very next day, Draco Malfoy showed up on the front step of Harry's home.  
  
"Malfoy, what are you doing here?"  
  
"You invited me."  
  
"I meant that I would meet you somewhere."  
  
"I wanted to meet here." Pausing, Draco raised an eyebrow. "May I come in?"  
  
Leading the blond into the kitchen, Harry motioned for him to sit.  
  
"You helped those prisoners from the Light Side when they were being held captive. Now I want to know why."  
  
"Does it matter so long as they're safe?"  
  
"It does to me."  
  
Cocking his head to the side, Draco asked impassively, "Is your opinion of Destiny really so low that you would believe that she would leave her own father there to rot?"  
  
"Destiny has done nothing to make my opinion of her rise as of late. Now what does my question have to do with the Queen of the Dark Creatures?"  
  
"It's very simple," Draco replied, lounging back in his chair. "I work for Destiny. She told me to help and I did."  
  
"So she says jump and you just ask how high?"  
  
"Something like that."  
  
Nodding his understanding, Harry leapt to his feet and grabbed Malfoy by the collar.  
  
"Where the hell is she?" he snarled.  
  
"That's not for me to say," Draco replied calmly.  
  
Letting go of the blond man, Harry snarled, "You could at least tell me SOMETHING!"  
  
"What do you want to know, besides the obvious of course?"  
  
"What is she dying of?"  
  
"The Latin name is Mortis Exolesco or, in English, The Fading Death. At first she'll look like a normal woman, but as time passes, she'll begin to fade away. She'll age but only a few signs of it will appear on her body. She'll be stuck as both a young adult and an old lady. But, unlike most people when they die, she won't leave her body behind. If she dies a natural death, she will first become transparent and then will just disappear. The curse of the Necromancer is that they must become what they love: a spirit."  
  
*****  
  
Walking slowly up the front steps of a nondescript apartment building, a blond woman, with large violet eyes, looked up sadly. So many years had passed since she had last been in Europe and the years had not been kind. Worn down and weary with age that had yet to come, the blond halted in front of the door. Buzzing the apartment of the woman she seeked, the visitor waited.  
  
With a small click, a feminine voice answered. "Who is it?"  
  
Fighting the impulse to flee the visitor forced out her reply. "Julia, it's me. It's Selena Terrell."  
  
*****  
  
A few minutes had passed since Draco had last spoken and neither man made any attempt to break the silence. It was then though that Alexia staggered into the kitchen yawning.  
  
"Morning, Harry." Looking up, she froze. "And person who's not Harry." Backing up slowly, Alexia blushed slightly and grinned sheepishly. "I'm going to go, you know, put on some real clothes." Spinning around, she ran for the door but stopped when Harry asked for her to wait. "What?"  
  
"Destiny-"  
  
"Here we go again," she muttered.  
  
Glaring at her, he snapped out, "You know what, just never mind." Rising to his feet, he turned to Draco. "I'd like to offer you a job."  
  
"I have a job," Draco replied coolly.  
  
"Torturing people, yes, I know."  
  
"Stop it Harry," Alexia snapped, coming back to the table, ready do defend the fair haired man.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Harry turned back to Malfoy and forced himself to be civil. "The Order would like you to join our ranks as a spy. If you accept, you will not be put in Azkaban when the war is over."  
  
"And if I don't, I'll be guaranteed a spot in that hell hole, am I right?" Draco snapped.  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
Clearing her throat, Alexia glared at him before turning to Draco. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Harry's just being a jerk because, well, he doesn't like you."  
  
"I can tell." Smiling charmingly, Draco leaned forward and asked her name.  
  
"Alexandria de Winter."  
  
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Draco asked curiously, "Of the vampire clan de Winter in France?"  
  
"Oui, Monsieur."  
  
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," Draco replied, kissing her hand softly while looking up through his eyelashes seductively.  
  
"I assure you, the pleasure is all-"  
  
"Alright, that is enough!" Harry snapped, smacking Draco's hand away from Alexia.  
  
Smiling nastily, Alexia rose to her feet and headed for the door. "I'll be going now. We wouldn't want Harry to throw a jealous hissy fit on us, now would we?"  
  
*****  
  
Twenty minutes later, Draco Malfoy had agreed to spy for the Order for a set amount of money, and had left after promising to make contact when he had information.  
  
Heading up the stairs, Harry checked on Sirius before continuing down the hall to Alexia's room. Banging on the door, he demanded that she let him in.  
  
"What do you want?" Alexia snapped, throwing open the door.  
  
What he saw shocked him into silence. Alexia stood before him, white hair swirling in a halo around her, black eyes blazing. Feeling his eyes drifting down, Harry blushed. Obviously having been getting ready for the day, Alexia wore only a lacy bra and a short slip.  
  
"Um."  
  
"Well, get on with it!"  
  
Shaking himself slightly, Harry remembered why he was there and narrowed his eyes angrily at her.  
  
"What the hell do you think you were doing down there? I'm trying to command a war and all you are doing is getting in the way!"  
  
Not looking even the slightest bit perturbed, Alexia calmly said, "You suck at playing war little boy. Besides, you brought me here."  
  
"And you've been worthless the entire time!"  
  
Narrowing her eyes dangerously, Alexia pursed her lips together tightly and stormed back into her room. Following her into the room, he glanced around. The room was a disaster with clothes on the floor, sheets hanging off the bed, and a blanket hung to block the windows and the sunlight. The strangest thing was the amount of paper that had been taped to the wall. Glancing around and seeing that Alexia was still in the bathroom, Harry approached one of the walls and read some of the papers. 'Danger is near for those who do not hear', and 'broken at heart, she will seek a new start.' Reaching for another paper that had an illustration of a fireball and an object burning inside of it, Harry managed to read, 'Only as the fire burns will-', before a pale hand darted out and snatched the parchment away.  
  
Alexia now stood before him completely dressed and stuffed the paper into her jeans pocket.  
  
"Haven't you ever heard that curiosity killed that cat?" she growled, walking around the room, collecting all of the papers.  
  
"Well then, it's a good thing I'm not a cat now isn't it?" Gesturing to the bits of parchment, he asked what they all meant.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You should have told me about those prophesies as soon as you made them."  
  
"It's not always a good thing to know the future," Alexia muttered darkly.  
  
"It is if it can save lives!" Harry shouted angrily.  
  
"Having these will not make any difference! I told you that when I had something of use, I'd tell you!"  
  
Quietly Harry stepped back and closed his eyes looking pained. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and, letting his true power shine through, commanded her forcefully, "You will hand over every one of those prophesies to The Order of the Phoenix and allow them to be studied. If you refuse, you will be seen as the enemy. What is your choice?"  
  
"I have a choice?"  
  
"You always have a choice."  
  
Turning to face the mantle of the fire place in her room, she whispered, "I'll make my decision then."  
  
Without hesitation, Alexia flung the parchment scraps into the grate and activated the flames. Yelling angrily, Harry lunged towards the fire only to have the vampire force him to stop or risk knocking her into the flames. "I will not be threatened; I will not submit to a pathetic humans will. Those prophesies told of peoples deaths that could not be avoided. They were of no use to you."  
  
Grabbing her by the shoulders, Harry shook her roughly. "You little twerp-"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you."  
  
Leaning in close enough that their noses almost brushed, he hissed, "When people die, it's going to be on your head. I hope you can live with that."  
  
Calmly, Alexia murmured almost to herself, "I live with that everyday."  
  
Eyes changing from anger to confusion, Harry shook his head slightly, never moving away. "You are the most confusing person I have ever met. One moment you want to save the world, the next, it's everyone for themselves. Why can't you just stay the same?"  
  
"Would you want me to?"  
  
"No," Harry whispered, cupping her cheek softly. "I like you just the way you are."  
  
Without giving it a second thought, Harry leaned in the rest of the way and gently pressed his lips to hers. 


	8. The Truth about Necromancy

The Truth about Necromancy  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Rising slowly to his feet, Sirius headed out of his room in search of something to do and to find out what all of the screaming was about. Popping his head into the doorway of Alexia's room his eyes widened in surprise at the sight that greeted him. Pushing aside the bitterness that arose within him at seeing Harry with somebody other than his daughter, Sirius smiled at the two. Closing the door quietly, he made his way back to his room while wondering how this would affect the already short length of his daughter's life.  
  
*****  
  
The kiss was short and sweet; the end was not. Pulling back suddenly, Alexia shoved Harry forcefully away.  
  
"As flattered as I am by your sudden interest in me, this won't work. You're still obsessed with Destiny Black and I refuse to be second best to a memory." Seeing the hurt expression on his face, she sighed but refused to back down. "I'm going to just forget that this ever happened." Turning her back to him, she waited for him to leave.  
  
Touching her arm gently, Harry asked softly, "What if there was no Destiny? Would you have been willing to give it a try then?"  
  
"Even if Destiny wasn't an issue, there would still be the fact that I'm me."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
Facing him, she smiled softly. "You're not ready for real commitment. I want somebody who will be willing to stand by me for all eternity. I don't want some short fling; I'm ready for the real thing."  
  
"I completely understand that but how will you know if it's the real thing if you don't at least give it a try?"  
  
"What about Destiny?"  
  
"Destiny was my first love and she will always be my friend. She's gone though and I have to move on. It's so strange. For the first time, I feel that I am really able to let her go; that with you, the pain of missing her will vanish. Is this making any sense?"  
  
Smiling softly, Alexia didn't answer. Biting her lip, she looked up into his eyes. "Alright, I'm willing to give this a go if you are."  
  
Smiling happily, Harry opened his mouth to reply when Sirius burst into the room.  
  
"Harry, sorry to interrupt but we're needed at headquarters."  
  
Nodding, Harry turned to Alexia. "We'll finish talking later, alright?"  
  
"Okay. Oh!" Hurrying into the bathroom, she returned moments later with a piece of parchment folded up like a note. "This may be of some importance to you. I was just scribbling it down when you first came. I get the feeling there was more to it but I got knocked out of the trance-like state and didn't get to see anymore."  
  
Glancing down, he asked, "Is it-"  
  
"Yes. Read it when you get to work."  
  
Nodding absentmindedly, Harry followed Sirius out the door.  
  
Waiting until she was sure they had both apparated away, Alexia reached into her pocket and pulled out a muggle cell phone. Dialing a number, she allowed it to ring once before hanging up. Immediately her phone rang back.  
  
"Yes." She replied tonelessly.  
  
"R.J.L., reporting."  
  
"The prophecy has been delivered and his trust has been gained. Don't allow this to be screwed up."  
  
"Understood." Without another word, 'R.J.L.' hung up.  
  
*****  
  
Apparating into the apparition room, Harry asked what exactly was going on.  
  
"We've gotten word of a Death Eater meeting at the Flying Dragon and we're going to crash it."  
  
"The Flying Dragon? I'm not familiar with that pub."  
  
"I'd certainly hope not! There's a road at the end of Knockturn Alley that only the very worst go down. It wasn't even named out of fear of it. The Flying Dragon is at the end of THAT road."  
  
Mischievously, Harry asked if he'd ever been there. Grinning back, Sirius launched into a story about the Marauder's at the age of sixteen sneaking down Knockturn Alley, getting lost, and the panic that had ensued.  
  
Laughing, Harry dropped the prophecy off at intelligence and made his way to the meeting room. Madeye Moody stood at the head of the table as the field agents gathered around.  
  
"It has been reported that a Death Eater meeting will be taking place tonight. Potter, choose a team and be ready to go to battle in an hour. You are to subdue and arrest only. The people are demanding public executions."  
  
Nodding, Harry began to call out the names for his team.  
  
*****  
  
An hour later, Harry, Sirius, Remus, Arabella, Stanton, Dakota, and the elf Mia had all apparated to the middle of the nameless alley. Ducking into a narrow alleyway between two buildings, Harry began to make sure they were all ready.  
  
"We know how this works kid," Arabella replied calmly to his worried remarks. "Let's just get this over with, it's beginning to rain."  
  
Agreeing, they turned to go and froze.  
  
There before them stood the brilliant red phoenix that he had first seen before the battle with Voldemort. Letting out a quiet song note, the phoenix flew over and landed in front of him. Turing its head to its tail, the bird pulled out a feather and dropped it at his feet. Giving one last note, the phoenix flew to the top of a large pile of boxes and watched them without moving.  
  
Watching it closely, Harry leaned down and picked up the feather. Tucking it into his pocket, he nodded at the bird and commanded his team to move.  
  
"What's with the feather?" Sirius whispered.  
  
"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "What I want to know is why that bird keeps appearing every time we go to fight the Death Eaters."  
  
*****  
  
The mission was completed quickly with the capture of fifteen Death Eaters and only slight injury to the Light forces. Returning to headquarters at dusk, they were surprised to find out that two other raids had been performed with success and no injuries. A total of thirty Death Eaters had been caught that day.  
  
"The strangest thing," Agent Vivian Malone, the leader of the second raid said, "was that before we attacked, a phoenix dropped a feather on us and just sat watching us enter. It was gone when we exited."  
  
Surprised, the man in charge of the third raid gasped. "A similar thing happened to us!"  
  
"A phoenix?" Dumbledore asked curiously, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "The phoenix is known to be a symbol of hope, the only creature that continuously beats death. Perhaps seeing it gave the agents the hope they needed to prevail." Pausing, Dumbledore asked to see the feathers. Looking closely at the red and silver, he finally sat them on the table. "They're just regular feathers. They'd make good wands-"  
  
As the statement was made, all three feathers burst into flames. Incinerating immediately, not even the ash remained.  
  
"Bloody hell," Malone gasped in shock.  
  
"Maybe they were sent as good luck tokens." Dumbledore mused, eyeing the scorch marks on the table.  
  
"By who," Harry asked, "and why would they burn?"  
  
"Because they weren't for me, they were only meant for you."  
  
"It matters?"  
  
"Apparently to whoever sent the bird to you it does."  
  
"So you have no idea who sent it?"  
  
"No. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next."  
  
*****  
  
Arriving home that night, Harry found Alexia sitting in the white gazebo in the backyard holding a dead blue bird. Raising her gaze from where it had rested on the bird, she sighed before lowering her eyes again. Sitting next to her, Harry tried to suppress the disgusted shivers that were running through him from being so near the dead animal and instead looked up at the stars.  
  
"They're pretty, aren't they?" Alexia asked. "They're something you can always count on." Rising to her feet, she carried the dead animal to the edge of the woods that surrounded his home and threw it in. Turning back to him, she asked how his day had gone.  
  
"Umm." he muttered, glancing to where the bird had just been tossed. "There were three raids today and all of them went off without the slightest problem. What did you do?"  
  
Shrugging, Alexia picked at the material of her dress. "Thought about things. This world. it's totally and irrevocably screwed up." Walking to the stairs of the gazebo, she stepped out. "Did you look at the prophecy?"  
  
"No, it's in intelligence."  
  
"There's nothing to decode about it. It's in plain English. I suggest you see it. soon."  
  
*****  
  
Sitting in Julia Snow's small apartment, Selena glanced nervously around. The walls were covered in pictures of Julia's only daughter Destiny, as a child, and as a teenager. There were pictures of her in dresses, in Halloween costumes, up in trees, and floating in pools. In no picture though was the little black haired girl playing with another person.  
  
"Why are you here?" Julia asked, jerking Selena out of her thoughts. "No offense but you just disappeared over twenty years ago and now you're back."  
  
Biting her lip, Selena spoke. "I'm sorry about that, I really am but you have no idea what it was like to have had your boyfriend murdered."  
  
Blinking in disbelief, Julia gasped out, "I had no idea? I had no idea! Do YOU have any idea what it was like to be the fiancé of a convicted murderer and to be carrying his child? In one night I lost Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, and because of your selfishness, you! All I had left was Remus and you know good and well that that man never stays in the same place for more than six months at a time! I was all alone! I had nothing left but a little girl who every time I looked at her, reminded me of what I had lost! I feel horrible now when I realize that my daughter thought that I hated her! The one time she asked me about her father I had just been fired from my job because they found out about Sirius and I said that he was a monster. A few weeks before I had told her that she was just like her father and I guess she took it to mean that I thought she was evil." Sniffing, Julia glared at the woman before her. "The worse thing is that the entire time, it was Peter's fault."  
  
"I know. I got word of it about three months ago."  
  
"So you didn't know?"  
  
"Did I know that he was responsible for Lily and James' deaths? Yes, I knew. It didn't matter though. I thought Sirius had killed all those people and for that, he did deserve Azkaban." Bowing her head, Selena whispered, "That's why I'm here. I wanted to tell you that I was sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what; for believing it like the rest of the world? You couldn't have known. I don't blame you and neither would Sirius."  
  
"No, not about the Sirius thing. Peter he. Peter would tell me things, little things that wouldn't really make sense at the time. I was his sounding board. He would rant to me and while he was doing that, it never really made any sense. I always figured he was just trying to get it off his chest and never thought about it. After I got word from Dumbledore that the Potters were dead, I put it all together. All that ranting finally made sense. Peter was working for Voldemort and had betrayed the Potters."  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?"  
  
"I thought Sirius had murdered all of those people so I didn't think it mattered. I know that Peter received the Order of Merlin, First Class and all that but. I didn't want to get in trouble."  
  
"Why would you have gotten in trouble?"  
  
"You know what the court system was like back then. If they thought you had anything to do with Voldemort, no matter how insignificant, you went to Azkaban. I was afraid that if I came forth with information that would help nobody, I would be thrown in a cell and left there to rot. So, I came here today to tell you that I was sorry for not putting things together and for not helping Sirius and you when you needed me the most."  
  
"You still don't need my forgiveness. You've done nothing for which you should be ashamed."  
  
"I have done nothing and for that I am ashamed. Please. Forgive me."  
  
Seeing that she wasn't going to back down and stop feeling guilty, Julia smiled through her tears, leaned forward, and wrapped the blond in her arms. "I forgive you. I'm so glad you came back, I've missed you so much!"  
  
*****  
  
Two weeks had passed since the day that Harry and Alexia had sat together under the stars. In that time, Harry had seen the prophecy Alexia had made. It technically was a vision, not a prophecy, and it was indeed very clear in its meaning: Harry was going to die. Alexia had seen Harry lying on the ground, covered in blood, and an open hole marring his chest. Sirius had begun to panic and had insisted that Harry go into hiding. The Mage had refused.  
  
Harry and Alexia had grown to be inseparable since their first kiss and was now the Wizarding Worlds most popular couple. When Sirius and Julia announced their engagement and hopes of being married immediately, Harry invited Alexia to the wedding as his date. She refused. After much begging, she finally reluctantly agreed just to silence him.  
  
Arriving at the church, she sat in the back while Harry stood up front with Sirius and Remus. Attempting to blend in with her surroundings, Alexia slouched down into her chair.  
  
"Isn't this wonderful dear?" an old lady asked her. "To finally be able to be together after all this time and so many trials."  
  
"Yeah," the white haired vampire muttered, "peachy."  
  
After the ceremony had ended and everyone had moved on to the reception, Harry finally tracked his date down.  
  
"What are you doing over here by yourself?" Harry asked making his way over to the deserted corner that she was sitting in. "The parties over there!"  
  
"I'm just not feeling very social at the moment."  
  
"Well, Sirius wants you to meet Julia so just pretend to want to be here for a few minutes and then you can go back to sulking in the corner."  
  
"I don't want to congratulate them!"  
  
Grabbing her by the arm, Harry dragged her forcefully over to where the newlywed couple was standing.  
  
"Julia, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine and my date, Alexandria de Winter."  
  
Hearing the name, Julia's eyes snapped over to Alexia and gave her a closer look.  
  
"Alexandria?" Julia asked. Stepping closer to the fair haired woman, she didn't seem very surprised when Alexia backed away.  
  
"No," Alexia stated firmly.  
  
"No what?" Sirius asked curiously.  
  
Shaking her head, Alexandria hurried from the room and out the door.  
  
"What was that all about?" Harry asked. "Do you two know each other?"  
  
"Yes, she-" Julia broke off as people approached to congratulate her and her new husband. "I'll tell you tonight, after the guests have left."  
  
Nodding, Harry waited.  
  
*****  
  
After most of the guests had left and only the Blacks, Harry, and the cleaning crew remained, the three headed over to Julia's apartment, which had yet to be cleaned out. Walking up the stairs, Harry glanced around. The walls were covered in pictures, the furniture was nice and overall, it seemed like a very happy place.  
  
"Sit down," Julia said, bringing tea into the small living room. Sitting in an arm chair across from the two men, she looked back and forth between them. "How well do you know Alexandria de Winter?"  
  
Sirius spoke first. "I don't really know her at all. She's the Seer that we went to Las Vegas to get. Harry knows her better, he's dating her."  
  
"Oh, I have no doubt that Harry would like her," Julia muttered. "What do you know about her?" she asked Harry.  
  
"I know that she's a vampire that was born in the 1600's and the general stuff that led to her being changed. Um. I know she isn't fond of sunlight but loves the stars."  
  
"So you know the little things about her?" At his nod of confirmation, she scowled. "And you still didn't figure it out?"  
  
"Figured what out?" Sirius asked confused.  
  
"Alexandria de Winter is not a vampire."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "Of course she is!"  
  
"I assure you she's not. At least she isn't as of yet."  
  
"Then why does she have the ring of the vampire?"  
  
"She wears it in case she decides to live or, technically, become undead." Getting up, Julia disappeared into the kitchen.  
  
"You know," Sirius mused, "we never did see her drink any blood."  
  
"Yeah, but if she's not a vampire, what is she? I mean, the woman bleeds SILVER blood. That is most definitely NOT a human trait."  
  
Shrugging, Sirius turned to face his wife as she came back in with a few Magically Magical Markers and a picture. Sitting down, she laid a Muggle picture on the coffee table between them.  
  
The picture was just as Harry remembered Destiny to be. Long black curls cascaded down her back as topaz eyes shined up through thick eyelashes. Small, beautiful, delicate: this is what Harry remembered most of the girl that had once pledged her heart to him.  
  
Handing Harry the markers, Julia pointed at the picture. "Take this one and color here and this one here."  
  
Frowning at her, he did as he was told. Taking the black, Harry colored in the eyes. Uncapping the white, Harry blinked down at the picture. Eyes widening, Harry furiously started to color in the hair. Sitting back to look at his work, he could feel his mouth gaping open like a fish.  
  
Lying before him was an exact replica of Alexia.  
  
"But-but-" Sirius stuttered uncomprehendingly.  
  
"How?" Harry asked, completely stunned. "I mean, I thought Destiny was dying!"  
  
"She is," Julia stated.  
  
"Well, she certainly doesn't ACT like she is!"  
  
"Well, her dying is a bit different from a normal persons' death. She won't weaken as she dies- well; she'll have weak spells towards the end- she'll just vanish. All the signs are there: her hair has lost all of its color, the light blue of her eyes has darkened, and she's pale as death. All of this time you spent searching for her and she was right there helping you, keeping you alive."  
  
Shaking his head to clear away the cobwebs that were forming, Harry frowned at the older woman. "Alexia- Destiny said that she was turned into a vampire in the 1600's, that she's been a vampire every since then."  
  
"Destiny doesn't lie, she just doesn't tell the whole truth either. She'll only tell you what she wants you to know. I'm positive that she never SAID that she was a vampire."  
  
"But she did!"  
  
"Did she? Think hard."  
  
Pausing, he shook his head negatively. "No, she never said it but she definitely hinted at it."  
  
"You believed what you thought was the truth and she just didn't bother to correct you. Destiny really is a de Winter though and they are the largest vampire clan still alive."  
  
"How exactly is she a de Winter?" Sirius asked. "I mean, she looks exactly like that Alexandria girl in this fairy painting we have of her."  
  
"That's because Alexia and Destiny are one and the same, they always have been." Looking over at Harry, Julia asked him to repeat the story that Alexia had told him. After retelling the tale, Julia nodded. "The story is true- well, almost all of it. Alexandria refused to be changed into a vampire as her twenty-second birthday drew near. When her house was burned by an angry mob that had found out that she was a witch, she was the only one who escaped unscathed. Alexandria begged Stanton to save her family so that they would always be there for her and he did. Her and her family disappeared into the forest but she was caught soon after. She hung for the crime of witchcraft and died over three hundred years ago."  
  
Nobody moved after this pronouncement. Finally Sirius spoke. "She reincarnated then?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How? Why? Why didn't she become a vampire? She could have survived being hanged!"  
  
"The price of immortality to a Necromancer is great- to great for her obviously."  
  
"What price?" Harry whispered.  
  
"Complete loss of power. Destiny is THE Necromancer; there will be no others until she gives up her claim WILLINGLY to the throne. She won't do that though. For as much as she whines about hating being different, she loves being what she is." Sipping her tea, Julia continued. "There have been many Necromancers before Destiny but she is the one that has lasted the longest. She has never chosen immortality in any of her lives, her choice is always death. All the others have chosen vampirism after the first or second life."  
  
"How many lives has she lived?"  
  
"About fifteen or so. In all of them, she has never lived to see her twenty-second birthday."  
  
Thoughtfully, Sirius said, "Stanton does hang around headquarters an awful lot now that I think about it. He's the one offering to change her, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, but only out of loneliness. It's hard for them to have been always separated because of what they were but have had power to make up for it and then lose that power and still be shunned. There are a few still out there that once possessed the power of Necromancy, but of all of them, Stanton was the only one that truly had the chance of reaching Destiny's level of greatness."  
  
"Whoa! Wait a second!" Sirius gasped. "Stanton was a Necromancer?"  
  
"At one time, yes. He had faded almost completely before he agreed to be changed, hence, the color of his hair."  
  
"So. if they choose immortality, a new one is born?"  
  
"When the world is in need of them; yes."  
  
"What happens if they choose death?"  
  
"Then they wait where ever they vanish to until the Dark Creatures are about to become endangered and then they just. reincarnate."  
  
"What I don't get is why that idiot wizard would betray her!" Harry snapped.  
  
"I don't understand that either, Harry. Why do you always feel the need to make sure she dies before she's twenty-two?"  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"How could it possibly have been my fault? I wasn't even alive back then!"  
  
"Oh," Julia replied smugly, "I assure you, you were." Seeing his confusion, she said, "In every life, you reincarnate too. In those lives, you make sure that she never completes The Fade. For some reason, you always love her but wind up, through some set of circumstances, killing her. Don't make that mistake this time around."  
  
"I won't. I'll die first."  
  
"I don't suggest doing that either. Destiny's very existence is tied to you. You die, she dies. It doesn't work the other way around though; you live no matter what happens to her."  
  
"Are you sure? About Destiny not being able to survive without me?"  
  
"It's never been proven but from the way she gravitates to you, everybody is positive it's true."  
  
"How do I always reincarnate with her?"  
  
"I have no idea. I'm thinking though, that since she has so much control over the dead, she can put them back into bodies and let them live again."  
  
Glancing up from where he'd been staring into his tea cup, Sirius asked hesitantly, "Hey Harry? Before you knew it was Destiny and thought she was just the vampire Alexia, did you love her?"  
  
Sighing, Harry rose to his feet. "Yes, I did." Without another word, he left the apartment.  
  
"Well," Sirius said, leaning back in his chair, "this sure has been a romantic wedding night."  
  
Rising to her feet, Julia moved over to sit next to her husband and smiled up at him. "It is kind of romantic for them if you think about it."  
  
"I fail to see how any of this could possibly be considered romantic."  
  
Smiling, Julia said, "They fell in love as children and even after so many years of separation they managed to fall in love again. I mean, they didn't even know each other as their childhood loves but their hearts did. I guess what the fairy tales say are true: true love really will overcome any and all obstacles." 


	9. The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End  
  
Chapter 9  
  
When Harry returned home, he knew immediately that Alexia was gone. The house was dark, silent, and cold. It hadn't felt this empty since before the Seer had moved in. Before, even when she wasn't there, the building had held a type of glow, as if it were waiting, as if it knew that the woman would return. Now, only the deserted husk remained, there was only the cold.  
  
Walking silently into the living room, he glanced around. Every plant in the room was dead, there were layers of dust and one of the windows was broken. Before Alexia had come, Harry had kept this room closed off, never bothering to fix the window, or clean up the glass and dirt. Alexia had fixed it up- or so he had thought. It had all been magic, a simple illusion spell.  
  
Heading upstairs through the dust and grime, Harry paused at the entrance to her room. Carefully pushing the door open, he stepped soundlessly into the room. Drawers were open, hangers were on the floor; Destiny had definitely made a quick exit. What caught his eye though was a piece of parchment that had been taped to the wall directly across the room from where he stood in the doorway. It was a letter that had been meant to be found. Snatching it off the wall, Harry read it quickly before rereading it aloud to himself.  
  
"When ice does shine,  
  
The Mage will die.  
  
Through fires flame,  
  
The Queen shall rise.  
  
When all is lost and hope is gone,  
  
The Phoenix shall rise to free them all.  
  
When evil rules and darkness reigns,  
  
Lives are lost, with no gain.  
  
Love so pure, love so bright,  
  
Only love will end this night.  
  
Through love, through pain,  
  
The purest sacrifice made.  
  
Of ash shall rise, the heroes purest light,  
  
One to set all free, no matter the oppositions might."  
  
Taking the parchment, Harry ran out the door and Apparated to headquarters.  
  
*****  
  
As the weeks passed, September became October and October became November. Voldemort had stepped up his attacks and the death rate was rising. The threat of an attack on Hogwarts was so great that on the 25th of November, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Arabella, Sirius, Remus, two fairies, an elf, and two vampires made their way to the famous school.  
  
Arriving was strange. It had been years since Harry had lived at Hogwarts and to be back was exhilarating. It was difficult to walk the halls though and be forced to remember what had once been and know that many of his old friends were now dead and gone.  
  
The three friends quickly settled in and were soon seen wondering around the halls, sitting in on classes, and generally getting in the way.  
  
Christmas came and went, time passed and more people began to join Voldemort or chose to die. Time after time Harry went on raids, captured Death Eaters, and prayed that today would not be the day that the Phoenix would fail to appear. The red and silver phoenix had begun to be seen as a good luck charm. If the bird appeared, there were little to no injuries; if it failed to, the losses for the Light were tremendous. Entire teams had been wiped out and the Order couldn't afford to lose any more people. Harry had been lucky several times now. The one and only time the Phoenix had not shown up for him, five people of a ten manned team had died, including Arabella Figg. Arabella's death was such a huge loss that many people had abandoned the cause in favor of Voldemort's forces.  
  
"Any more losses like this" Albus Dumbledore said one morning in a rare show of pessimism, "and we may very well lose this war."  
  
Days crept by as one session of grieving ended and another always began. Things were becoming bleak and hope was all but gone.  
  
"What are we going to do Harry?" Hermione asked one afternoon.  
  
"I don't know 'Mione, I just don't know."  
  
On the morning of February 1st, during a meeting of the Order at Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix headquarters was attacked and destroyed. Over five hundred people died in the assault.  
  
Bowing his head in defeat, Dumbledore whispered in horror, "Five hundred. There were children there."  
  
"We were lucky though," Harry replied quietly. "Most of our strategists, generals, and leading field agents were here and most of the people who would usually have been there weren't scheduled to come in until late afternoon."  
  
"We're losing Harry," Sirius muttered, his face in his hands.  
  
"We will not lose."  
  
"Have you found the girl?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"No Sir. Not yet."  
  
"Find her or we may all end up bowing at Voldemort's feet."  
  
Battles occurred; some were lost, some were won. Through all this no Dark Creature participated in the fighting. The entire army that had once been at his disposal had vanished the day that Alexia had been revealed as what she truly was. Dread settled into every member of the Orders hearts as February turned to March and the Necromancers birthday month arrived.  
  
It was in March that the final decision on who would win the war was made. On this day, the final prophesy came true.  
  
*****  
  
March 21st dawned gray and cold with rain threatening to fall in sheets. Sitting at the table that had been set up for the Order that inhabited the school now that their primary headquarters had been destroyed, Harry was quietly enjoying his breakfast while listening to Ron recount stories from their childhood.  
  
"And then," Ron exclaimed, "in my second year, Harry and I flew my family's car to Hogwarts after-"  
  
Ron was cut off suddenly when a house-elf came running into the Great Hall.  
  
"Master Dumbledore, Master Dumbledore! Come quick Sir!"  
  
"Cici, what is it?" Dumbledore asked, trying to calm the distraught elf.  
  
"Men, Sir, lots of men in masks is approaching the school!"  
  
Rising swiftly to his feet, Dumbledore ordered all of the students to go back to their houses. Next he ordered the hundred Light wizards who were living at the school to prepare themselves for battle.  
  
Stepping out of the school, Harry felt as if the air had been knocked out of him at the sight that greeted them. Over a thousand people dressed in black approached slowly on the small army that had gathered to protect the castle.  
  
Swearing softly, Harry drew his wand and prayed for the best. Keeping his eyes locked firmly on the approaching sea of blackness, Harry asked quietly if anyone had seen the Phoenix. There was no reply. Sighing, Harry raised his wand and prepared to die.  
  
*****  
  
Moving swiftly, a small white fox ran through the forest, sending up howls as it went. Reaching the edge of the forest, the fox quickly became a man and went to join the ranks of the Death Eaters.  
  
*****  
  
Taking a deep breath, Harry called out, "We will fight until the last man is dead! There will be no retreats! We cannot lose here; there will be no other fights after today! This battle will determine who wins. The righteous WILL prevail!" All of his speech was spoken with more confidence than he felt. Speaking so quietly that only those nearest him could hear, Harry whispered, "Make me proud."  
  
As the Dark army reached them, the Light stepped out to meet them.  
  
*****  
  
Very quickly it could be seen that, while well trained, there were just too many against them. Victim after victim fell and still the battle raged on. Large chunks of stone fell as spells rebounded off the walls of the school.  
  
Inside the school, the students huddled together and cried in terror. In a flash of blinding light, the apparition wards fell. Horrified, the prefects ordered the students to ready themselves to fight for survival.  
  
Immediately, hooded figures began to apparate into the common rooms. Standing tall, the older students began to fight back. As the students were beaten back and quickly killed, others began to apparate into the rooms. The tide of war began to turn as the unmasked group quickly destroyed anyone who rose to fight them- students included.  
  
Ravenclaw was the first house to be secured from the Death Eaters and with the help of portkeys, was evacuated to the mountains in the north. As the student arrived, they were all greeted with the same sight: giants, werewolves, fairies, vampires, nymphs, satyrs, gremlins, hags, centaurs, shape-shifters, gnomes, dwarves, and in a small lake, a variety of sea creatures all running around in organized chaos. Some gathered swords and others sharp objects, while others moved to organize the children and remove them from the opportunity to get in the way. At the far end of the camp, a large group stood calmly and at the shout of a fairy was the size of a Barbie, the entire group apparated away.  
  
Once all of Hogwarts had been evacuated, wards went up around the large cave where the students had been taken. Nobody could go in and nothing was coming out.  
  
From where she stood, Mia smiled sadly. No matter what the outcome was today, an entire generation had just been saved and was safe and able to be trained for war in the future. No matter the outcome, the Light forces still had a chance.  
  
Nodding at a group of elves who were to remain behind, Mia vanished with a small pop.  
  
*****  
  
Spell after spell flew at him and, instead of wasting energy blocking them, Harry simply dodged. Unfortunately, even dodging became tiring and he was quickly wearing down. Exhausted, Harry failed to dodge a banishing charm and was suddenly thrown across the war zone and into the front doors of the school. Grunting in pain, Harry rose unsteadily to his feet. Glancing out over the flashes of light and falling bodies, Harry felt his eyes widen and a grin creep over his face.  
  
Entering silently, moving like shadows, wave after wave entered from the Forbidden Forest in perfect position to flank the Death Eaters. Where the Death Eaters had once out numbered the Light ten to one, the odds had suddenly become more even. The odds were now reduced to two to one as more than five hundred Dark Creatures emerged from the forest. In one movement, the Dark Creatures rushed Voldemort's army from behind and swiftly began to execute the masked men.  
  
None of the new army even glanced up as a musical cry floated through the air. Harry and the rest of the humans did though and what they saw caused a cheer to go up and rise to an exalted crescendo. A beautiful red and silver phoenix flew through the air, landing briefly in places to cry on the most injured.  
  
Instantly it was as if the Light Side had suddenly gotten a burst of much needed energy as every agent began to fight back twice as hard.  
  
Gripping his wand tighter, Harry headed back into the fray.  
  
*****  
  
Apparating into the Owlery at Hogwarts, Dakota Lupe made her way over to where Harry's owl sat.  
  
"Hello Hedwig. Would you do me the favor of delivering this letter to where the Muggle World leaders are staying for their meeting?" Reaching out to put the letter on the birds' leg, she quickly snapped her hand away when it tired to bite her. "Look you stupid pigeon, Harry's in trouble. There are more of them than us and we need help. Harry could die out there if you don't take this letter. Will you do this for Harry?"  
  
Seeming to think it over for a second, Hedwig finally stuck her leg out with an annoyed shake of her head and allowed the letter to be tied to her. After making sure that Hedwig made it out and away from the fighting, Dakota disapparated.  
  
*****  
  
By the time that night had begun to fall, the tides had once again shifted sides. After the Dark Creatures had arrived, it had seemed that the Light had a guaranteed win on their side. Soon after though, more Death Eaters had arrived to replace the old fighters and were fresh and ready to kill.  
  
Shifting into an eagle, Dakota flew to Harry's side, landed, yelled for him to make his way into the school, and quickly flew to safety.  
  
Hurriedly running to the front doors, he yanked them open and darted inside before slamming them shut. The doors had barely closed before the shape- shifter grabbed on to him and portkeyed them to a Muggle military base. Staggering slightly, Harry glanced around. Standing before him were hundreds of Muggles dressed in camouflage, guns in place, planes sitting on the runway ready to fly.  
  
"What's going on here?" Harry asked, reaching up to wipe blood off of a small wound on his forehead.  
  
"Remember negotiating with the Muggles last summer for help?" Dakota asked.  
  
"Vaguely."  
  
"Well, help has just arrived."  
  
Stunned, Harry finally snapped, "You can't just bring Muggle equipment into Hogwarts! It's like a complete dead zone for all Muggle technology! Nothing will work there and all of these people will get killed!"  
  
Smirking, Dakota nodded towards the planes. "Already thought of that. All of these planes are being run on magical crystals instead of gas. This way they will never need to land and, when this war is over, the crystals are easily removed. We're planning on having the planes fly over the forest and shoot any Death Eater groups that are waiting in there to attack. A ground crew will go in and destroy those who are too close to the good guys to be shot accurately by the planes. Sound good?"  
  
"How long have you been working on this?" Harry asked in amazement.  
  
"Around five years. It takes a long time to recruit this many people and to find and charge this many crystals."  
  
Shaking his head and smiling in disbelief, Harry finally murmured, "You know, this just might work. Do they know what to do?" Harry asked, nodding to the Muggles.  
  
"Yes, they've had months of training for this and every one of these people are volunteers. Nobody has been forced to be here."  
  
"Alright then, let's go!" As some of the Muggles ran for their planes, Harry asked how far away they were from Hogwarts.  
  
"Flying: about five minutes. We're just on the other side of the mountains from Hogsmeade. The foot soldiers all have portkey necklaces. They'll be transported there by them and if they are injured, they can activate the portkey to allow them to escape back to here." Nodding his approval, Harry raised his wand to apparate when Dakota spoke again. "The children are safe. They've been moved to a secret location and will be safe should anything go wrong."  
  
"Thank you. That's helpful to know."  
  
*****  
  
Sitting on his throne, Voldemort watched the war progress through a mirror in front of him. Hearing the thrumming noise, the snake-like man focused the mirror above the forest. Seeing the large metal planes shooting bullets into the trees where the Death Eaters were resting, Voldemort snarled, "Release the Dragons."  
  
*****  
  
As dusk became full night, exhaustion was quickly setting in. Some of the men had been fighting since the battle had begun and wanted nothing more than to rest. The Muggles arrival was a blessed relief to the fatigued people. With the planes and guns on their side, victory looked certain. Unfortunately what came was not expected. Three large dragons flew through the air and caused planes to be engulfed in flames and plummet to the ground. The pilots were able to kill one dragon before being forced to retreat. Using the trees for cover, the Muggle ground team took aim on any and all masked men and fired. The Muggles with guns didn't last long as more men came from behind and systematically slaughtered those hidden in the trees.  
  
In a last ditch effort to gain the upper hand, Mia apparated back to the mountain where the Dark Creatures had set up their base and gathered the next wave. With bows, arrows, and magic repelling shields, dozens of elves disapparated to the edge of the fighting. Keeping themselves squatted behind their shields with their back to the castle wall; the elves dug the metal into the ground and created a sort of phalanx. On the count of three, all of the elves rose from behind the protection and promptly shot their arrows into the crowd before ducking back down and preparing for the next attack.  
  
Panic took over as arrows flew and, when hit, caused the victim to explode into flames, disintegrating within seconds. Unfortunately, one out of ten of the victims was a good guy.  
  
"Whoops," Mia murmured, reloading in the blink of an eye and quickly shooting again. Before Mia could drop back down though, she was hit with an exploding hex. Feeling her organs begin to overheat, her body bubbling and expanding, she whispered, "Oh, shi-", before her body exploded.  
  
The elves around her didn't even turn when they were hit with a wave of blood, guts and pieces of skin. After this incident though, many were a lot more careful about how much of themselves was shown when firing.  
  
As the war raged on and more and more people fell, hope seemed like a distant memory and the end almost nonexistent. In the middle of it all, covered in blood, Harry threw curse after curse, praying to live to see another dawn. 


	10. The Phoenix's Fire

The Phoenix's Fire  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Stanton had seen a lot of death in his life but never had so much been because of him. Trying to block out the sounds of those dying around him, he moved on to his next victim. Using his long curved sword, Stanton stabbed the person through the back. Pulling the sword out of the woman, the force of the tug caused her to topple down on top of him. Pushing her off, he staggered to his feet- and felt something hot and painful being shoved through his back.  
  
Gasping, Stanton collapsed to the ground. 'Wood,' he thought helplessly. 'There's wood in my heart.' As the light began to fade out of his eyes and his breath ceased, Stanton felt his body collapse into dust, leaving his clothing lying on the ground with the stake.  
  
*****  
  
Shoving his way through the debris, Sirius made his way to where Albus Dumbledore stood fighting off a Death Eater. As soon as he had killed the hooded figure, Sirius got his attention.  
  
"Sir, we need you to go into Hogwarts and save your energy for when Voldemort arrives. You'll be more valuable then than now. Please Sir-" Ducking a flash of green light, he continued. "Come inside!"  
  
Refusing, Dumbledore moved to help a young man with two Death Eaters attacking him.  
  
*****  
  
Harry fought his way through the crowds, searching for any sign of the Dark Lord. He just wanted this night to end so that he could get on with his life.  
  
'You won't be able to get on with your life if Voldemort wins,' a nasty, nagging voice hissed deep within his mind.  
  
'Bugger off,' he thought back.  
  
Having made it almost to the Forbidden Forest, Harry froze when a sudden cold swept over him. "Oh no."  
  
Spinning around, Harry yelled, "Dementors! They have dementors!"  
  
Standing near the forest to fight was difficult. Having called attention to himself, the Dark Side was now taking extra care to destroy him. As others rushed to his aid, hundreds of dementors began to pour out of the forest. Dead silence descended over all those present but it wasn't long before screams began to erupt from those nearest the trees.  
  
The dementors had lowered their hoods to administer their kiss and what he saw, Harry knew would haunt his nightmares forever. The faces were skeletal, with rotting, gray skin hanging off in pieces. Where the nose should have been, there was only a hole and the eyes were merely open sockets. Out of the eyes crawled worms and the flesh that was still there moved and bubbled with maggots. Pus oozed out of holes in the scull and on several of them, the brain could be seen hanging out.  
  
Thoroughly disgusted, Harry was raising his wand to cast the Patronus charm when misty lights came pelting over the school and slammed into the dementors, driving them back. Unlike a Patronus, the lights did not drive them away completely but rather rounded them up and made sure they could go no farther onto the field or escape back into the forest.  
  
Fighting his way closer so that he could make out what the glowing lights were; Harry smiled even as overwhelming pain washed over him from being so near to so many evil monsters. Harry recognized most of the glowing people that had trapped the dementors. They were all Voldemort's victims, all standing and willing to lose their souls to destroy the things that fought for the man that had stolen their lives. There were a few that Harry grinned at when he saw them: Cedric Diggory, Arabella Figg, Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, and most importantly, his parents.  
  
Feeling a hex just miss him, Harry turned back to the fight that was now some distance away from him. Disgusted at the Death Eaters who were obviously moving the fight away from the horrible creatures, Harry thought, 'Wouldn't want to be too near your own fighting force, now would you? God knows, they may suck your soul out.'  
  
Sending a stunning spell at a nearby woman, Harry turned his back momentarily on a solitary figure and immediately paid the price. Feeling a slashing hex hit him in the middle of the back, Harry gasped at the unimaginable pain. All over him, deep stab-like wounds began to appear, blood flowing steadily onto the ground.  
  
Sinking to the ground, Harry knew he was dying.  
  
*****  
  
From where she stood upon the roof of Hogwarts, Destiny watched as Harry received his killing wound. Glancing around at the rest of the battle field, she could see her father Sirius running to his Godsons' side.  
  
Shifting into her Animagus form, Destiny flew across the battle field and landed at Harry's side. Transforming back into her normal self, Destiny knelt next to him, allowing her long white hair to trail on the ground through the growing pool of blood.  
  
Blinking up at her through his pain, Harry croaked out, "Alexia?"  
  
"No," she murmured, "Destiny." Rolling him gently over so that she could see the hex wound, she quickly changed back into her phoenix form. Bending her head over it, she began to cry on the gaping wound. After the most serious damage had been healed, she changed back and murmured, "Let's get you into the school so that I can finish healing you."  
  
Standing up, Destiny was reaching down to pull him to his feet when a Death Eater pointed his wand at her. It was as if time had come to a crawl for Harry. Things slowed and all he could think was 'NO!' He didn't know what spell was being used or what it would do when it hit, but the one thing he did know was that he couldn't allow it to hit her.  
  
Pushing himself painfully off the ground, Harry lunged forward and shoved her out of the way, allowing himself to be hit in her place. When the black light hit, excruciating pain flowed through him. He could feel his blood vessels begin to pop. He knew, as everything went black, that his organs would soon explode and that he would never wake up again.  
  
*****  
  
Through the mirror that he watched, Voldemort got a close up view of Harry being hit by the last spell. Grinning evilly, he rose to his feet.  
  
"Wormtail, it is time to show the world the man to which they will bow."  
  
As he apparated away, neither Voldemort nor Wormtail saw Destiny Black stagger to her feet as her skin began to turn transparent.  
  
*****  
  
Destiny didn't see the curse coming so much as she felt it. Before she could react though, she felt something warm and heavy slam into her, knocking her clear off of her feet. She could feel the curse hitting Harry as his hands left her body.  
  
Most people say that when they're about to die their entire life flashes before their eyes. This very occurrence happened for Destiny except that it wasn't her life. Shocked, the Necromancer watched Harry's life in the blink of an eye before agonizing pain ripped through her body. Trying desperately to scream, Destiny lay immobile on her back, locked within the memories of her own mind.  
  
Seers were rare. Most were seen as lunatics and within a few years they actually were. Destiny had spent years fighting her visions, casting altering spells so as not to be driven insane by the constant memory of tortured deaths. In an instant, all of the memory alterations vanished and she was left with nothing but flash after flash of violent, horrific visions. Every vision she had ever witnessed in her twenty-one years flashed through her mind. Before her, friend, foe, and acquaintance, died. By the time it was over, even though only mere seconds had passed, Destiny's eyes were glazed over and blank, far past sanity.  
  
*****  
  
Sirius had almost made it to Harry's side when he saw Harry knocking Destiny out of the way of a curse. Having heard what curse was used, Sirius knew there was nothing he could do but watch his Godson die.  
  
Harry had been hit with the Cunctor Mortis. The young man would suffer horribly before his death as slowly, blood vessels burst, organs exploded, and he choked to death of his own blood and pieces of lung.  
  
Kneeling down beside him, he was grateful that Harry appeared to be unconscious. Keeping low to the ground, Sirius crawled to his daughter's side. Poking her in the side, he said, "Wake up! I know you're not dead, I can see you breathing." Leaning down to look closer into her eyes, he drew back suddenly in horror.  
  
There was nothing in those eyes; no mind, no person, no life. Destiny's body may have been there but the very life that was her, was not.  
  
*****  
  
Trapped within her own mind, Destiny felt as if she were drowning in a swirling pool of darkness. Finally though, it stilled and allowed a vision of the end of the war to flash very clearly before her eyes. She saw who would win, who would lose; she knew the repercussions of both. Suddenly, the last prophecy she had made at Harry's house made sense.  
  
'When ice does shine. The lake is frozen over. The Mage will die. Harry. Through the fires flame.'  
  
It was as if a light bulb had suddenly been turned on and allowed her to open her eyes. Reflexively, Destiny's hand darted up and grabbed onto the man in front of her. There was a problem though. So much time had passed; her birthday was so close that Mortis Exolesco was almost complete. Her hand went straight through her father.  
  
Ignoring his gasp of shock, she stood, passed straight through him and went to Harry, completely ignoring the curses that now flew right through her. When she was almost to his side, she staggered, fell to her knees, and became a little more solid.  
  
Gasping for breath, Destiny brushed the hair off of Harry's face, kissed his lips, ignoring the blood spilling from them, and changed into her phoenix form. She had barely managed to change before her feathered body collapsed on top of him, flickering out of existence momentarily. Giving a loud shriek that drew the attention of most of the battle field, the Phoenix burst into flames.  
  
*****  
  
Blinking his eyes open, Harry groaned, sucking in a lung full of sweet smelling smoke and settling ash. Suddenly taking notice of the fact that he was in no pain, he glanced down and experimentally patted his body to check for any holes. After searching the places where the most blood had soaked through his clothing, Harry found nothing, not even a scratch.  
  
"What the."  
  
"Harry!" Turning his head dazedly, he saw Sirius kneeling next to him. "Oh God, I though you were dead for sure!"  
  
"So did I. Where's Destiny?"  
  
Running his hand distractedly through his hair, Sirius replied with a desperate sort of panicked depression. "Jesus Harry, she used the rest of her life force to save you. Her phoenix fire allowed you to be reborn from the ashes, but. Des is just. gone."  
  
Bowing his head sadly, Harry tried to choke back tears.  
  
"Stop sitting there and help us!" Dakota snapped. "We need to."  
  
Startled to hear the out spoken Dakota shut her mouth without being told to, Harry immediately knew something was wrong. As a sudden hush fell over the battle field and all fighting ceased, he felt a chill run down his spine. Glancing up, he saw Voldemort approaching.  
  
"And the great Harry Potter survives again. To bad about your little girlfriend though. Now you will die. Without her, prophecy dictates that I will win." Smiling evilly, Voldemort held out his hand. "Join me."  
  
As Voldemort had been giving his speech, Harry had risen with surprising steadiness to his feet.  
  
"Never," he snapped back defiantly.  
  
Twirling his wand lazily in his hand, Voldemort pointed it at Harry and hissed, "Crucio."  
  
Knowing that if he moved, Sirius, who was behind him, would be hit, Harry gritted his teeth and prepared to just endure the pain. Raising his arm instinctively to ward off the curse, he closed his eyes tightly.  
  
At the gasp of surprise that went through the crowd, Harry opened one eye and looked at his out stretched hand. Shocked, he snapped his other eye open. Around his hand glowed a brilliant red light- the light of the curse meant to torture him.  
  
'I'm holding the Cruciatus Curse.'  
  
As an idea began to dawn on him, Harry smiled at the snake-like man before him. Drawing his arm back, Harry threw the curse that lay in his palm back at its creator.  
  
Falling to his knees, Voldemort shrieked in pain. The curse lasted only seconds though and soon he was back on his feet, throwing the killing curse at the wild haired young man.  
  
Thinking it was probably best not to push his luck and risk dying, Harry was tensing his muscles to move when an echoing voice whispered, "Don't move." Freezing, Harry suddenly got the feeling of being part of the air and saw the curse pass into him before stilling; glowing brightly in his chest, it died out after having no affect.  
  
Frantically Harry thought, 'What's going on?'  
  
"Don't panic, Harry." Glancing about, he saw his mother, father, countless friends- all ghosts that the others obviously couldn't see. "When Destiny gave you the gift of her fire, she allowed you to have temporary access to her powers. She may no longer be here Harry, but for as long as you wield her powers, she is standing with you." The voice seemed to come from all of the ghosts, from everywhere, from nowhere.  
  
Understanding suddenly, Harry lifted his head to look Voldemort in the eye. "No, prophecy says that a hero will come from the ash to save the world." Gathering his powers, the power of all those who had died opposing Voldemort, and the power that Destiny had left behind, Harry ignored Voldemort who had raised his wand and whispered, "Be free. Your deaths have been avenged."  
  
Releasing the wild magical current from within him, Harry watched with the eyes of a Necromancer as Voldemort's soul was ripped from his body. Anybody else would have just seen the evil man collapse but Harry was able to watch as all of Voldemort's victims attacked him and destroyed his very soul.  
  
Slowly, the ghost world that ran parallel to that of the living began to unfocus and finally vanished from sight.  
  
Peace had just begun to settle over Harry when somebody screamed. The dementors were no longer being kept at bay by the spirits and were moving into the crowd. Raising his wand, Harry yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" Out of the wand burst the brightest, most powerful Patronus he had ever seen. As the stage ran down the dementors, they let out an unearthly shriek and one by one, exploded into nothingness.  
  
Staggering a little, Harry used the last of the borrowed powers and his own to bind the fleeing Death Eaters before collapsing into blessed unconsciousness.  
  
*****  
  
The bound Death Eaters had been transported to a more secure location and out on the battle field, medi-witches and wizards walked among the wounded, helping those they could and pronouncing others dead that they couldn't. The numbers of dead were tremendous on both sides. The total count eventually rose into the staggering tens of thousands and, in the end, more had died than lived.  
  
Walking around feeling helpless and slightly dazed, Dakota kneeled down beside a pile of clothing and a stake, sighing.  
  
"Hey there," Remus murmured. "You okay?"  
  
Gently picking up the clothing, Dakota hugged it to her. "How can I be? Everything I once knew, everything I believed in. It's all gone. Destiny, my father, Mia, Stanton, my brothers."  
  
Wrapping his arms around her, he lightly kissed her forehead and whispered, "You still have me. Besides, now that it's finally over, no more are going to die."  
  
"Yeah. You know, I learned something from all of this." Giving her a quizzical look, he waited for her to go on. "Life's just too short to not do what you want to." Grabbing his face, Dakota yanked Remus forward and kissed him hard on the lips. Pulling back, she smiled sheepishly. "Would you like to go on a date sometime?"  
  
Grinning so wide that it looked as if his face would split, Remus practically shouted, "YES!"  
  
Laughing, Dakota raised her arms in a gesture for him to calm down. "Whoa! Simmer down now! So. you've liked me for a while then?"  
  
"For years but you were the princess of my people and. how was I supposed to ask you out?"  
  
"Simple, you walk up and say, 'Dakota, would you like to go to the movies, eat dinner. go back to my house.'"  
  
Giving a little laugh, Remus shoved her away playfully.  
  
"Why don't we just try that date first? We've got time now, so let's take this slow. Besides, there's so much to do and a lot of promises to make the humans fulfill. Such as, did Destiny ever choose who was going to co-lead the Wizarding World?"  
  
*****  
  
Twenty-four hours after the final battle had been completed Harry woke to find himself in a beautiful room that resembled the Gryffindor common room, alone. Sitting up, he let the events from the day before wash over him.  
  
"Destiny."  
  
Drawing his knees up to his chest, Harry stared out the window beside the bed, never noticing the tears running down his cheeks.  
  
*****  
  
Over the next few days, funerals were held and the Order met to discuss what to do next. It was agreed that the Ministry would be reset up and two Ministers would be elected to keep each other in line. Harry was nominated by the Order, but when he failed to respond, it became apparent that for the time being, Harry wasn't going to be able to lead anyone. He was barely even taking care of himself.  
  
It was unanimously agreed to that Hermione Granger would become the first Minister for the humans. Her knowledge was legendary and her alliance to the Light Side had never been questioned.  
  
It had been agreed since the beginning of the Dark Creatures involvement that Destiny Black, as the Queen, would be the one to decide which of her people would share the leadership position. The humans, upon Destiny's death, didn't know how to even begin to decide who to give the job to. At first they had tried to give the job to Dakota Lupe, but she had flat out refused. She claimed she had enough to do just keeping her people in line. Without Destiny around to terrorize people into listening, Dakota was going to have a huge job of watching over everyone.  
  
The very next day, a delay owl- one that would have a letter sent on a certain day that was picked- arrived with a letter. The owl was dated August 29th, 2003 and it was signed by Queen Destiny herself. In the note, the deceased Necromancer had made her decision. Remus Lupin was made co- minister that very day.  
  
That evening, before Harry headed back home for the night, he was approached by Draco Malfoy who had indeed been acquitted and thereby saved from Azkaban.  
  
As Malfoy approached, Harry sighed. He just wasn't in the mood for a verbal spat. Gritting his teeth and acknowledging the fact that he wasn't going to be going home any time soon, Harry waited for the other man to catch up.  
  
"Potter, there's something you need to know-"  
  
"Look Malfoy, I don't care if you're sorry. Being sorry isn't going to bring her back. Why can't you and the rest of the world just let me mourn in peace?"  
  
"Potter, you're not the only one who lost her, you know. Have you seen her mother? The woman is inconsolable! She just lost her only child! Have you talked to Black? The poor man is blaming himself for her death. He seems to think that if he had gotten their a little sooner, if he'd just ran a little faster, she would have lived. Have you bothered to ask me about her death because I just lost my only friend!"  
  
Stunned, Harry stuttered, "I don't know what to say."  
  
"Don't say anything, just listen. Destiny was the best friend I ever had. She put herself on the line repeatedly with no gain to herself. Des spent her entire life being told she was evil. Towards the end she began to believe it would be easier for people if she allowed them to believe that. She wasn't though. Do you remember the Animagus Potion? Do you remember her insisting on waiting a day to take it?" At his nod of confirmation, Draco continued. "She made you wait so that she could steal some for me. That's why I was such a good spy. I can blend right into a forest setting."  
  
"What are you?"  
  
"A fox." In the blink of an eye, the snow white fox stood before him. Changing back, Draco continued as if nothing had happened. "You and the rest of the world need to know, the way that Alexia acted was not Destiny. Des was brave, loyal, cunning, and, most of all, just a regular person trying to do what was right. Destiny was cruel only when it made things easier for others to deal with. If she was cruel, it was because you needed her to be. Remember this: in the end, Destiny Black was only the person you wanted her to be." 


	11. Epilogue

The Phoenix's Fire  
  
Epilogue  
  
One week after the end of the bloody battle that had claimed so many lives, a funeral was held for the fallen Necromancer Queen. Though there was no body to bury, small objects of Destiny's were placed into the coffin to be put into the ground. A large stone was put at the head of the grave, the largest of the entire cemetery. At Harry's request, Destiny's grave was set apart from the others in the memorial cemetery so that a garden could be planted around it.  
  
Thousands of people- human and inhuman alike- came to pay their respects to the woman who had died to allow them to win. Though many came, few stayed after the service was over; few cared about one more Dark Creature's lost life.  
  
Around mid afternoon, Harry Potter stood before the tombstone, reading and re-reading the flowing inscription etched into the cold stone.  
  
Destiny Alexandria Black  
  
1982-2004  
  
Regina, Et Nunc Et Semper  
  
In Memory of Your Courage,  
  
We Thank You for Our Lives  
  
Reaching up to touch the wings of the angel that stood with outstretched arms over Destiny's grave, Harry squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Feeling a hand touch his shoulder gently, he glanced slowly back. Standing behind him was Sirius, Julia, and a little ways down the rows of grave stones, Remus.  
  
"Harry?" Julia asked. Looking at her through dulled eyes, he gave her his scattered attention the best he could. "I found an old chest of Destiny's in the attic and I thought you might like to have this out of it."  
  
Holding out the wrapped object, she waited for him to take it. Pulling it gingerly from her hands, he glanced down at it curiously. "What it is?"  
  
"That's not for me to tell you."  
  
Kissing his check, she moved down to where Remus stood. Moving forward, Sirius stood next to Harry, silently gazing at the inscription.  
  
"Regina, Et Nunc Et Semper?"  
  
"It means, 'Queen, now and forever.' I thought it fit perfectly with who she was."  
  
"It does. She was always a Queen first and foremost. She was wonderful at it too. Not many would be able to put people they don't really know ahead of their closest loved ones. She did it every day though." Nervously, Sirius licked his lips. "Are you going to be alright?"  
  
"Yes, but. It'll be a long time before I am though. I. I just feel like I could have done something more. I mean, God! I'm a freaking War Mage and when the time came to use my knowledge, I failed."  
  
"No, Harry, you didn't fail. You saved the world. If the positions had been reversed and Destiny had wielded both powers instead of you, I. I honestly believe we would have lost."  
  
"But I was trained on what to do in those situations!"  
  
"They never told you how to deal with having the person you love be in that situation though. You did all you could." Putting his arm around the younger man's shoulders, Sirius whispered, "It's okay to cry." When Harry didn't respond, Sirius gave him a little shake. "Cry; you'll feel better."  
  
Gently, Harry pushed his Godfather away. Bowing his head, he said, "I can't. I've cried so much over the last few days. There's just no tears left. I feel hollow, numb."  
  
Turning Harry's face to him, Sirius said with gentle sternness, "It will get better, I promise you that. Don't give up on life. I've already lost my baby; I couldn't bear to lose you too."  
  
Giving his Godfather a shaky smile, he replied quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. I know I'll see Destiny again when I die. When that happens and she asks what I did with my life, I don't want to have to say that I threw away what she so desperately wanted for herself. I'd like to be alone now if you don't mind."  
  
Nodding, Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder before going to join his wife and friend.  
  
Turning his back on the retreating party, Harry looked down at the package he still held in his hands. Pulling apart the paper surrounding the heavy object, Harry couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the gift enclosed.  
  
Held in his hands was one of Destiny's most treasured possessions while she attended Hogwarts: a small crystal ball that sat on a stand as if it were a snow globe. The stand held picture of unicorns, phoenixes, and other mystical creatures. He remembered sitting in the Gryffindor common room with her as he and Ron made up predictions and she actually looked into the ball. Harry had claimed that there was nothing there, not even the swirling smoke that should have been. Destiny though actually saw things and was always more than willing to help them cheat their way through the class. Oh, but how she had loved the little ball. It was of Muggle origin and she had bought it simply because she had liked the stand. She always said that she had been using it when she had first realized that she could see things before they happened. It was her most magical object simply because it had been made by Muggles.  
  
Sighing sadly, he stepped forward and knelt next to the inscription on the cold stone, gently setting the little glass object on the ground. It was beginning to snow and already was sticking to the ground. By the time dusk arrived, snow covered the ground and the young man, but still he remained motionless.  
  
Shivering, Harry kissed his fingers and pressed them to the stone before standing and preparing to go. Turning around, Harry jumped with fright and froze.  
  
Standing behind him, a girl with chin length, flyaway, midnight black hair was watching him, her head ducked down, shadows obscuring her face. She was about 5'6", with a petite frame. Wearing a heavy emerald cloak, a bright blue fuzzy hat and red gloves, she was a funny sight indeed. From the amount of snow sitting on her shoulders and hat, she had very obviously been standing there for a very long while.  
  
Getting the feeling that he had seen her before, he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else was here." Not receiving an answer, he nervously asked if she had known Destiny well.  
  
"Did anyone know her well?"  
  
"No, I guess not."  
  
"Destiny Black was an enigma in life and will remain so in death. Ask anybody and they'll tell you that she was a selfish little b-"  
  
Grabbing the woman by the front of the shirt, Harry effectively cut her off. Growling softly, Harry snapped, "Who do you think you are?" Pulling her forward so that he was right in her face, Harry was about to tell her off for insulting the dead when he realized why exactly she was so familiar. "Your eyes."  
  
"Hello Harry Potter."  
  
Gasping, Harry immediately let go of her clothes and tilted her face up to get a better look at her eyes. Clear topaz sparkled brilliantly up at him as she laughed.  
  
"Destiny?"  
  
"I really should thank you for curing me. Another five minutes and I would have been beyond reach."  
  
Shocked, Harry stuttered helplessly, "C-c-cure?"  
  
"The cure that made me not vanish. You've killed me in every life for your own gain. To save me, you had to be willing to take my place in death."  
  
Completely ignoring what she was saying, Harry reverently touched her face, brushed her hair behind her ear, and pulled her to him tightly.  
  
"God, Des! I thought I'd lost you forever! Without you, I didn't know if I was going to make it."  
  
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I would have come back sooner but I was a bit laid up. Though I did get an awfully nice tombstone out of it."  
  
"Laid up?"  
  
"Transferring my powers to you, even for such a short time drained me to the point of death. I've spent the last few days just laying on the Ghost Roads, waiting to heal."  
  
"You're really back?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"For good?"  
  
"Forever."  
  
"And you won't be disappearing again?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you more."  
  
Glancing down at her hand, Harry asked hesitantly, "Whatever happened to the promise ring I gave you?" Hastily he added, "Not that I expect you to still wear it or anything."  
  
Reaching up, Destiny pulled a necklace off of her neck and showed him the charm. Hanging there was the beautiful clauddah ring he'd given her over five years ago.  
  
"You know, this is the first time since I was sixteen that I've ever taken this off. I'll understand if it no longer has any meaning for you but. Just so you know, I still mean to keep my promise. If I marry, it will be you waiting for me at that alter. If not, I guess I'll just never get to walk down that aisle."  
  
Smiling, Harry took the ring off of the chain and slid it onto her finger.  
  
"Wear this ring until I can find something that is worthy of your beauty."  
  
Grinning, she kissed him softly. Closing his eyes, Harry allowed himself to be lost in the feel of her lips on his.  
  
Night fell and still they stood locked in each others embraces, letting the gently falling snow pour down around them. They talked of everything and of nothing. When Destiny began to shiver uncontrollably, they made their way down the rows of stones to the entrance of the cemetery. Reaching the gate, he looked down on her.  
  
"Des, what happen to your hair? It's so. short!"  
  
Snorting, Destiny replied. "At the end of the burning, I fell out of my Animagus form and my hair caught fire! You should have seen me! I was rolling around on the ground on the Ghost Roads trying to bury my head in nonexistent dirt!"  
  
Laughing, Harry touched the short tresses. "I think it's beautiful."  
  
"Good. So, are you up for scaring my parents?"  
  
Grinning mischievously, Harry whispered, "Later," and lowered his lips to hers.  
  
*****  
  
Screaming became a regular thing over the next few days when Destiny walked into a room and within mere hours, she was thoroughly sick of it. Julia took her daughter's sudden resurrection with almost no reaction; Sirius did not. Screaming loudly, Sirius tripped over a chair and nearly fell down the stairs. Destiny just smiled.  
  
A week after Destiny had returned and things had once again quieted down, Harry and Destiny sat in Harry's home, throwing popcorn into each others mouths. Giggling, Destiny crawled into his lap and kissed him.  
  
"Guess what?" Destiny chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
"Um." Pretending to think hard, he finally asked innocently, "Pizza?"  
  
Giving his hair a playful tug, she laughed. "No silly! Do you remember the kitten Draco Malfoy gave me that Christmas at Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yes." Harry replied slowly, not understanding where she was going with this line of conversation.  
  
"Well, when I left Hogwarts, I left my cat there too. I didn't want to take her with me and then have something happen to me, leaving her homeless, so I left her with a note saying to give her to my mother." Squealing excitedly, Destiny bounced up and down in his lap. "My mom gave Duchess back to me yesterday! Oh, and I found out what her powers are!"  
  
Curiously, Harry asked what powers a cat could have.  
  
"Duchess can see peoples' thoughts!"  
  
"How can you SEE thoughts?"  
  
"Well, she can't really hear what they're thinking. It's more like she gets an impression. Any-hoo, I was walking down the street yesterday and you will not believe some of the nasty thoughts running through guys heads!" Pausing, she blinked in surprise, seeming to realize who she was talking to. "Oh, I guess you would know then." Grinning, Harry waved for her to finish what she was saying. "Duchess also said that you were worrying about something when you came over to my apartment yesterday. Is everything okay?"  
  
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, suddenly remembering what he had been worrying about.  
  
Setting Destiny on the couch, Harry stood up and dug through his pocket.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Shh. Just hold on for a second."  
  
Finding what he was looking for, Harry kneeled down before her.  
  
"Oh my God." Destiny whispered.  
  
Smiling, Harry said, "I asked you once to promise your heart to me. Now, I'd like to make you that same promise and give you my entire heart. Destiny, I love you more than you will ever know. To be able to see your face first thing every morning, for it to be the last thing I see every night, would be the greatest, most precious gift of all. Destiny Black, will you marry me?"  
  
Opening the jewelry box and turning it towards her, Harry allowed her to see the contents. Sparkling up at her was the largest diamond she had ever seen.  
  
Glancing up, she shrugged. "Okay."  
  
"Okay?"  
  
Smiling brilliantly, Destiny slid off the couch so that she too was on her knees and whispered, "Yes, mon amour, yes!" before wrapping her arms around him for a passionate kiss.  
  
The End  
  
A/N: This is not the complete end! I'm writing an AU even as you read this. Below is the summary to the AU world. Yes it's about Destiny still though you may not like her nearly as much as you did in this world.  
  
**In a world where the Potters survived and Voldemort was never destroyed, Destiny Black must grow up in a place that is riddled with the fear of anything different, not understanding what she is.** 


End file.
